The 30-year-old was aiming to better his fifth place finish from the Rio 2016 Olympics this summer, but is set to wait another year.

Tokyo 2020 is now postponed to July 23 to August 8 2021 due to the global health crisis, with the majority of sport also suspended since March.

Cho revealed the enforced break had been positive for him. 

"Every little niggle that I had is going away with rest, mentally you are in a happier place," he said, as reported by Hillingdon Times. 

"There is no real pressure and that feeling is amazing because you can go into your own world of happiness.

"Obviously you do miss your sport, you miss your teammates, you miss your facility, you miss the flow of competition, you miss preparing and all of that you do miss.

"But when you miss that it gives you an extra boost, extra time for reflection and insight as when you go back you go back more hungry, you go back more alert, you go back more refreshed.

"That just allows you to create a good training plan to get ready for your optimal objective. 

"If that’s given to you within that year then that is perfect – that is what is going to spur a lot of us on."

Cho used his time to record workouts on Instagram and set up a sport business. 

"I have been doing free live sessions on Instagram to help the people at home," he said. 

"These are things I enjoy doing and lockdown allowed me to create a business opportunity for myself.

"It kind of made the quarantine worthwhile on my behalf. 

"This is why I sound more positive than negative because it took me to a different place that I didn’t believe I could be in before."

Cho earned a world silver medal in the over-87 kilogram category in 2017 and has two Grand Prix titles in the over-80kg division. 

He is considered the favourite to be selected for the over-80kg contest at Tokyo 2020, but may be pipped by team-mate Lutalo Muhammad.