US President Donald Trump late on Thursday praised Tokyo’s Olympic preparations and their “magnificent” venue just hours after he suggested delaying the Summer Games for up to a year due to the coronavirus.

Trump’s apparent change of heart came after a phone call with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

“Just had a great conversaion with Prime Minister Abe of Japan. I told him that the just completed Olympic venue is magnificent,” Trump tweeted. “He has done an incredible job, one that will make him very proud.”

Just hours earlier, Trump was the first foreign leader to suggest delaying the Tokyo Olympics because of the coronavirus, dropping a bombshell on his “good friend” Abe.

“Maybe they postpone it for a year,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office, 19 weeks before the opening ceremony in Tokyo’s Olympic Stadium.

Trump’s comments came the same day as actresses dressed as ancient Greek priestesses held the ceremonial flame lighting at a ruined temple in the original Olympia.

It was all the more surprising given Trump’s repeated declarations of close friendship with Abe and his reluctance previously to give advice on the situation. Japanese organisers have reiterated that the coronavirus pandemic will not derail the Games scheduled from July 24 to August 8.

IOC’s take

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) will follow the World Health Organisation (WHO)’s recommendation on whether to cancel or postpone the Olympics, IOC chief Thomas Bach said on Thursday.

“We will follow the advice of the WHO,” he said, adding that the IOC was still working towards preparing for a “successful” Games.

With cancellations of Olympic qualifiers, Bach acknowledged that there are “serious problems with qualification competitions”.