The International Olympic Committee said Sunday it will assess a postponement of the Tokyo Olympics over four weeks of talks amid mounting criticism by athletes and sports officials about the prospect of holding the event during the coronavirus pandemic.

In response, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Monday during a parliamentary session that postponing the Tokyo Olympic Games may become an option if holding the event in its “complete form” became impossible.

Tokyo Olympic organizing committee President Yoshiro Mori said at a press conference later Monday he supports the IOC’s decision to review the existing plan to hold the Tokyo Olympics from July 24.

Abe said that safety and security of the athletes will be given the highest priority before a final decision is made by the IOC, while saying that cancellation is not on the agenda.

But on Monday, a number of national sporting authorities ramped up the pressure, with the Canadian Olympic and Paralympic committees announcing they will not send teams to the Tokyo Games if they go ahead this summer as scheduled.

Soon after, the Australian Olympic Committee released a statement saying it has recommended its athletes start preparing for an Olympics “in the northern summer of 2021”.