Some of Japan¡¯s top athletes have expressed mixed feelings following Tuesday¡¯s announcement that Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and the International Olympic Committee had agreed to postpone the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics for ¡°about a year¡± amid the COVID-19 outbreak.

Veteran female sport climber Akiyo Noguchi said in an Instagram post Tuesday night that she ¡°can¡¯t find the right way to control my mind¡± upon learning the unprecedented news (in peacetime) of the games being delayed.

¡°But I¡¯ve set the Tokyo Olympics in August as the final stage I¡¯ll compete on, so I¡¯ll take it as a positive that I¡¯ll be able to spend more time as an athlete,¡± the 30-year-old climber added. Noguchi intends to retire from the sport following the Olympics.