The IOC and the Tokyo Olympic organising committee agreed on about 50 such measures, which include cutting the number of visiting officials, the number of transportation services and local organisers' office space, after a two-day IOC coordination commission that was held remotely.

But they did not appear to represent significant simplifications of the Games and details have not been provided.

Tokyo organising committee chief executive Yoshiro Muto told a news conference that they have worked on the simplification of the Olympics since the Japanese capital was picked as the host city in 2013.

The pandemic led them to further simplify the Games, Muto said.

However, officials have never considered reducing the number of participating athletes next year, while they have yet to discuss the size of audiences, Muto added.

"Considering the current state of the world, we have been discussing how we will be able to deliver a safe and secure Games that can win public understanding in these challenging times," Muto said in an IOC statement.

"This process will benefit future society - becoming a role model for future global events as people adapt to living in the new normal. We will make all efforts to ensure that in the future the Tokyo 2020 Games will be a legacy."

IOC coordination committee chief John Coates struck a similar note as he named rearranging the Games a "milestone" for the Olympic Movement.

"The 'Tokyo Model' will not only deliver a Games fit for a post-corona world, it will become a blueprint that will benefit future Organising Committees for many years to come," Coates said.

Muto said he and organising committee president Yoshiro Mori have also asked 68 local sponsors to extend their contract beyond the expiration in December this year despite uncertainty over the pandemic.

Experts are concerned about a possible resurgence of the coronavirus in winter in the Northern Hemisphere as people spend more time indoors together.

In March, the rapid spread of the coronavirus forced the IOC and Japan to postpone the Olympics by one year to summer 2021.

Australian Associated Press