Next year's Tokyo Olympics will follow an almost identical competition schedule as the one planned for this year before the event was postponed due to the novel coronavirus pandemic.
The International Olympic Committee and Japanese government decided in March to postpone the Games until 2021 and organisers have been working to rearrange an event almost a decade in the making.
The new date for the opening ceremony at the newly-built National Stadium -- July 23, 2021 -- had already been announced but the full schedule was pending final approval until today when the Tokyo 2020 organising committee made a presentation to the IOC Session in Lausanne.
The new schedule means women's softball will kick off competition at 9 a.m. in Fukushima on July 21, two days before the Games officially open, with all events taking place a day earlier than the 2020 schedule.
There have also been some minor changes to session times.
The Games are set to be the biggest ever in terms of events, with a record 339 medals available, before the closing ceremony on Aug. 8.
One of the biggest hurdles for organisers was securing the 42 venues needed for the Games as many had already been booked for 2021.
However, Muto said all the venues have been secured.
The marathon and race walking events will remain in the northern city of Sapporo after being controversially moved out of Tokyo because of the anticipated scorching summer heat.