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The president of Team USA Swimming has fired off a letter to the head of the U.S. Olympic Committee strongly urging for the 2020 Games to be postponed 1 year due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Tim Hinchey -- President and CEO of USA Swimming -- feels it's unfair to force athletes to prepare for Tokyo 2020 while they're trying to follow government mandates urging them to quarantine and stay out of public places.

As we previously reported, Olympic training pools around the country have been shut down to protect the athletes from exposure to the COVID-19 virus ... leaving many swimmers without a place to work out while they prep for the biggest competition of their lives.

So, Hinchey sent a letter to Sarah Hirshland -- CEO of the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee -- urging her to push for a 1-year postponement.

"As this global pandemic has grown, we have watched our athletes’ worlds be turned upside down and watched them struggle to find ways to continue to prepare and train – many for the biggest competitive opportunity of their lives."

"Our world class swimmers are always willing to race anyone, anytime and anywhere; however, pressing forward amidst the global health crisis this summer is not the answer."

"The right and responsible thing to do is to prioritize everyone’s health and safety and appropriately recognize the toll this global pandemic is taking on athletic preparations," Hinchey wrote.

"It has transcended borders and wreaked havoc on entire populations, including those of our respected competitors. Everyone has experienced unimaginable disruptions, mere months before the Olympic Games, which calls into question the authenticity of a level playing field for all."

Hinchey added ... "Our athletes are under tremendous pressure, stress and anxiety, and their mental health and wellness should be among the highest priorities."

"It is with the burden of these serious concerns that we respectfully request that the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee advocate for the postponement of the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 by one year."

So far, Tokyo 2020 organizers are adamant the event will take place as scheduled in July 2020 -- and they're currently holding torch lighting ceremonies in Japan.

It's officially curtains for the XFL's season ... the league is shutting down due to coronavirus.

Vince McMahon's org. decided to postpone the re-inaugural season last week ... but given recent state regulations handed down across the country, there was no way the shop could stay open.

"The COVID-19 pandemic, and the most recent local and state regulations, have left the XFL no choice but to officially cancel the remainder of the 2020 season," the league said in a statement.

"This decision has been made with the health and safety of the entire XFL family as our top priority."

The league makes it crystal clear -- the XFL WILL be back in 2021, despite the rough ending to the 2020 season.

FYI -- the coronavirus made its way to the league just days ago ... with a Seattle Dragons player testing positive for the infection.

"When our teams return to the field, we’ll make every effort to ensure your faith in us is rewarded with even more fun and excitement. Your passion is our purpose, and everything we do, every day and for every season to come, is For the Love of Football."

Just 'cause we're all cooped up at home doesn't mean you can't getcha tan on while quarantining ... Exhibit A? UFC superstar Paige VanZant!!

"America's Sweetheart" gave an inside look on how she's social distancing during the coronavirus pandemic on Friday ... hitting IG with a much needed bikini selfie.

"Sunshine mixed with a little bit of quarantine," Paige said with a smile from her home in Oregon.

If you follow PVZ and her hubby, Bellator star Austin Vanderford, on social media ... you know they're finding ways to stay busy during these times. They've been working out, they're been goofing around ... but most importantly, they've been AVOIDING COVID-19!!!

And, if you're looking for entertainment, here's a shameless plug -- watch Paige host the awesome new Snapchat show "Fight School" ... where top UFC fighters teach our own TMZ producer Lucas how to execute their signature moves!!

Check it out ... 'cause you ain't got anything better to do.

Vanessa Bryant's trying to get affairs in order for her and her kids following Kobe's death, and coronavirus is making it difficult ... so she's asking the court for some help.

Vanessa filed legal docs asking a judge to appoint a guardian ad litem for her 2 daughters -- Bianka and Natalia -- as well as another for Capri ... as it pertains to modifying Kobe's trust to include Capri. This is a standard way of doing things -- judges routinely appoint guardians to represent the independent interests of the children -- but now she says it's urgent.

Why? Vanessa says "due to court closures caused by the global pandemic" there is major uncertainty with how the court system will stay open ... so she needs to get her ducks in a row STAT.

We broke the story ... Vanessa just filed other legal docs asking a judge to amend Kobe's trust to include their youngest daughter, 9-month-old Capri, who was born after Kobe last amended the trust.

Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban has teamed up with star players Luka Doncic and Dwight Powell to donate $500k to help healthcare workers battling the coronavirus pandemic.

The money will go to the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center and Parkland Hospital and will be earmarked to support childcare for healthcare workers on the frontlines of the COVID-19 response effort.

"We can’t thank our healthcare workers enough for putting their patients’ well-being before their own," Cuban said.

"I am thankful to Luka and Dwight as we partner up to support healthcare workers who are doing everything they can to keep our community healthy."

Luka added, "“Thank you to our amazing healthcare workers. They are sacrificing so much to care for others, and I am honored to help.”

Daniel Podolsky, who runs UT Southwestern, issued a statement thanking the men for their donation.

"We are deeply grateful to the entire Dallas Mavericks organization, and especially to Mark, Dwight and Luka, for their incredible generosity in providing emergency childcare funding benefitting the frontline healthcare workers of UT Southwestern and Parkland."

Amazing gesture from Arthur Blank ... the Atlanta Falcons owner is donating $5.4 MILLION to help coronavirus relief efforts.

The 77-year-old made the announcement Friday ... giving $5 MIL alone to the Greater Atlanta COVID-19 Response and Recovery Fund -- a charity set up to help those affected by the virus in the Georgia area.

"As a Family Foundation we have always believed that it is the power of many that will make the greatest impact on the most pressing issues in our society," Blank said.

"This is that moment -- to join together to truly harness the power of all of us to address a challenge that knows no boundaries and has no precedent in our lifetimes."

Blank also announced he'll be donating $100,000 to help support public schools in Atlanta; $100,000 to help police efforts in the city; and $100,000 to six non-profits to help provide food in the area as well.

Blank also revealed he'll be giving more than $100,000 to various foundations in Montana -- a state he owns businesses in -- to help the homeless, needy and at-risk.

Blank -- who co-founded Home Depot -- is known for his charity work ... the Falcons say he and his Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation have now donated more than $540 MILLION to those in need over the years.

The U.S. Olympic Committee has shut down the Olympic Training Center in Colorado due to the coronavirus scare, TMZ Sports has learned ... shutting out American gymnasts from prepping for Tokyo.

With Los Angeles in lockdown mode and other cities clamping down fast -- we reached out to multiple Team USA Olympic training squads to find out if and how they'll continue to train athletes with the Games just months away.

A rep for USA Gymnastics tells us ... "As of Wednesday March 18, all training venues at the U.S. Olympic Training Center, including the gymnastics facility, were closed for at least the next 30 days."

"We understand the significant impact this has on our National Team athletes and their training and are working with athletes and their coaches to find safe alternative solutions for our athletes to train."

As for Team USA Swimming ... they've got big problems too -- and have shut down their pools out of an abundance of caution.

While experts say pool cleaning chemicals will kill the coronavirus, USA Swimming officials tell us there are other reasons they can't allow swimmers to continue their training.

"There is no evidence that COVID-19 can be spread to humans through the use of pools and hot tubs," a rep tells us.

"But if you have several athletes swimming and training in the same lane and all coming up for air in close quarters at the wall there’s a possibility of transmission."

Team USA Volleyball has also shut down their training centers in Anaheim and Torrance -- but tell us, "Our athletes are finding ways to train at their homes."

Team USA Track tells us ... "Athletes face challenges as they train all over the country in both private and public facilities. Local health authorities have shut down many (or most) of these facilities."

Famous golf courses all over the country are still keeping their fairways open despite the coronavirus pandemic ... with some telling TMZ Sports there are no restrictions on the course.

Golf ain't exactly a contact sport ... and it seems well-known courses in the U.S. know this, 'cause most clubhouse officials tell us they aren't changing a whole lot of policies to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Most major private clubs -- a la Augusta National and Pine Valley GC -- aren't in season yet ... but officials from some of those courses tell us they're planning on business as usual when they open in April and May.

As for public courses ... the ones that are in-season -- like Bandon Dunes in Oregon and Bethpage in New York -- explained to us tee times can still be had with little-to-no limitations on play.

A few notable public courses in Northern California tell us they're closed due to the "shelter in place" regulations inputted by local authorities ... but the plan for those courses is to open up once the orders are lifted.

As for the Los Angeles area, prior to governor Gavin Newsom's "stay at home" order Thursday night ... we're told public courses were still open with regulations.

Officials from one course told us they removed ball washers from tee boxes, and rakes from bunkers ... and instructed players to not pull pins on the greens.

It seems clear they'll all be shutting down after Newsom's speech Thursday, however.

Meanwhile, almost every other course we spoke with tells us their food and drink shops are takeout only.

Of course, golfers all over the U.S. still want to play -- as O.J. Simpson pointed out in a video Wednesday, it's pretty easy to social-distance while playing the sport.