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International Olympic Committee vice-president John Coates is confident the Tokyo Games will go ahead next year as contingency planning accelerates.

Olympic powerbroker John Coates remains bullish about next year's Tokyo Games as coronavirus contingency planning accelerates.

Coates, recently elected as an International Olympic Committee vice-president, says the global COVID-19 pandemic has prompted "any number of scenarios" to be considered for the Tokyo Games.

The Games were due to start last week but were postponed until July-August next year.

"We have secured the venues, which means we have got the same competition schedule, so I'm confident about all of that," Coates told AAP on Wednesday.

"All of our planning is towards the Games (starting) on the 23rd of July next year and the Paralympics to follow.

"There's obviously different scenarios under which the Games might take place, depending where COVID-19 is at."

Coates, also the Australian Olympic Committee president, said the IOC's contingency planning was covering numerous possibilities.

"One scenario may be that COVID is gone," he said.

"A scenario might be COVID is under control in some countries but not others among the 206 that send teams to the Games.

"A scenario may be COVID is totally eradicated in Japan; or not eradicated in Japan.

"All of those will have an impact on how we have to treat the athletes coming into the country and how have to treat them while they are there.

"It will have an impact on spectators ... we are planning on the basis there will be (spectators) and we will address whether they can be once we know the (coronavirus) position closer to the event."

Coates said the Tokyo Games would be "simplified", with the IOC examining a range of cost-cutting which wouldn't impact on athletes or sports.

As chairman of the Games' coordination commission, Coates was heartened by the collective attitude of staff at the Tokyo organising committee.

"The work is complex," he said.

"Since postponement was agreed in April, it's quite amazing what they have achieved up there in Tokyo in terms of resecuring the 43 venues.

"What amazes me is the enthusiasm they have been able to maintain amongst their 3200 staff ... their enthusiasm to finish this job that they have started gives all of us a lot of satisfaction.

"I have always been impressed with them as an organisation ... you have an obligation to do this for the athletes.

"You want to make sure that a generation of athletes aren't going to miss their Games."