“I know that’s not the understanding in the media, and is maybe not the way it would work for all sports properties, but the Olympics has always had a very clear separation of church and state,” said Payne.
“Where the Games are held, what happens now with the Games in light of this, is a 99 per cent sporting decision, starting with the athletes and then the federations and NOCs [national Olympic committees].
“The broadcasters and the sponsors, obviously they’re dealing with logistical issues, and they would be advised continually of developments, but they’re not going to be consulted: ‘This is what we’re thinking, what do you think?’ Equally, most of the sponsors, ideally all of them, are not going to tell the IOC: ’This is what you’ve got to do.’
“This isn’t an existential crisis, the end of the Games, the end of the road. When I joined the IOC, [around the time of] the Moscow boycotts and Los Angeles boycotts, [it was] not just were the Games going to happen, would there ever be another Olympic Games?