International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach hopes the postponed Tokyo Olympics will not have to be held "behind closed doors"; according to the BBC, organizers are working on protective strategies to address health concerns surrounding the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic. They are working on them and at the same time trying to maintain the spirit of the convention.

"We are looking for solutions that protect the health of all participants on the one hand and reflect the Olympic spirit on the other," Bach told the BBC (opens in new tab) on Wednesday.

The 2020 Olympics were originally scheduled to run from July 24 to August 9, but were postponed due to the coronavirus and will now run from July 23 to August 8, 2021.

The IOC said it is committed to hosting the Olympics next summer and is working on different scenarios that take into account the uncertainty of the pandemic's progression a year from now.

Many events have been postponed or cancelled this year due to the pandemic, and the UCI World Tour calendar for cycling just resumed on August 1. Sport governing bodies and teams are also working on strategies to ensure events are held safely. The strategies include conducting cohorts among teams, staff, and event personnel to reduce the spread of the virus, and limiting spectator gatherings and media access at events.

Bach told the BBC that the IOC is working on "all different measures" and wants the Olympics to be inclusive of spectators. As for the event being held behind closed doors, Bach said that "obviously that's something we don't want."

"Because of this, we are working on multiple scenarios because we don't know how healthy we will be a year from now."

The cost of postponing the Olympics has been estimated at between $2 billion and $6 billion; the IOC has reportedly set aside $800 million to offset the cost of rescheduling.

Despite the enormous costs and uncertain health risks involved in hosting the Olympics, Bach reiterated that the IOC is committed to running next year's Games.

"We remain committed to hosting the Tokyo 2020 Games next July and August," Bach said.