The 2020 Olympics will not be postponed, with the Tokyo Games to either go ahead or be cancelled, according to Australia's chef de mission.

The coronavirus pandemic has killed more than 8,900 people worldwide, while it has disrupted sports globally.

The European Championship and Copa America and golf and tennis majors have been postponed, with the former two pushed back to 2021.

Australian team chef de mission Ian Chesterman said postponing the Games – due to start on July 24 – was simply not an option.

Asked if the Olympics would either go ahead or be cancelled, Chesterman told a news conference on Thursday: "That's always been the stated position of the Olympic Committee.

"That the Games go ahead or are cancelled. Fortunately, very few have been cancelled."

Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) chief executive Matt Carroll said the IOC had plenty of time to make a decision over the Olympics.

"Postponing an event as big as the Olympic Games has an impact on every other world event in 2021," he said.

"There's a Winter Games coming up in 2022, there's another Olympic Games in 2024, there's FIFA women's and men's World Cups coming up in those years as well.

"I go back to the principle which is to protect the health of everyone at the Games, not just the athletes, that includes the officials. Australia will take a team of 1,000 people to Tokyo so it's not just the athletes, but it's also officials, the broadcasters, the fans.

"If you go back to their guiding principle, if that guiding principle is going to be compromised then the IOC will make the appropriate decision. All they're saying is they do not have to make that decision today."