And so it came to pass that the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games were finally staged - in 2021.
It was a stunning performance by the Tokyo Organising Committee and the International Olympic and Paralympic Committees - surpassed only by the exceptional efforts of those who patiently waited and diligently prepared to take part in them.
For some including those ill, injured or on maternity leave in 2020, the delay was a career starter or saver - for others, like Tasmanian cyclist Amy Cure, it was a bridge too far and the end of the road.
For those in between, like Australia's Ariarne Titmus or Norway's Jakob Ingebrigtsen who were already on the way to greatness, those extra 12 months provided the opportunity to further hone their skills, power and strength to become number one in their respective crafts.
The Olympics provided special moments all over the program, perhaps none better than the clashes between Titmus and American Katie Ledecky and the finals of both 400m hurdles in the main stadium - arguably the best pair of races in track and field history.
More parochially, the Games provided salvation in the form of gold for the now hugely popular Jess Fox and in terms of a medal at long last for the Boomers under the inspiring leadership of Patty Mills.
That Mills prevailed in the contest to win the Sport Australia Hall of Fame's Don Award is a measure of just how spectacularly he was able to captivate his countryfolk.
The award is made annually and judged by SAHOF's selection committee to honour an Australian athlete or team who by their achievements in the preceding 12 months have most inspired the nation.
That Mills got the nod ahead of Ash Barty, Dylan Alcott, Titmus, Fox and myriad others who dazzled and motivated us in 2021 demonstrates that his was a special impact.
This year again provided the sporting world with challenges not seen in times of peace. Our male cricketers found themselves engaging in Test matches only in January and December while major sporting leagues were again locked in or locked out in part or in full.
The impact on local sport varied massively across the nation and throughout the year. Fortunately for Tasmanians, the effects were perhaps the least severe. But participating interstate, except for those in cashed-up sports able to finance COVID-safe environments, was again widely curtailed.
Crowd limits went, came-back, then disappeared again. We wore masks seemingly only when the rules were made by mainlanders.
But then, sadly, we rarely have crowds above 1000 people for the majority of our sporting contests these days,
In reality, Tasmanian sport has done okay over the past two years. For the vast majority, loss of revenue has been matched by a reduced need to spend. Volunteer-run organisations, as so many Tasmanian sporting clubs and leagues are, find ways to cope much more easily than businesses or professionally-managed bodies.
Who knows right now whether 2022 will be any better?
What is known is that these next 12 months are chock full of major sporting events - both those scheduled to be held next year and those carried forward from 2020 and 2021. If they are all able to go ahead, the world's sportsmen and women may well end up fatigued like never before and the fans at home more bleary-eyed than they could have imagined.
Most Olympic sports planned a world championship in 2021 - as they traditionally do in the year after an Olympics. Few went ahead when the Games were delayed. The World University Games, a not insignificant event in terms of high-level participation or finding a spot in the calendar, is also normally held in odd-numbered years.
It means they mostly got shoved forward to 2022 where there were already scheduled major multi-sport events like the Commonwealth Games.
Australian swimmers wanting to do both their worlds in May and the Commonwealth Games in July-August will have to peak twice. Our track and field athletes will have to be super-human with just four days between the last competition session of the world athletics championships in Eugene, Oregon, and the opening ceremony in Birmingham.
