From ‘best prepared’ to postponed

Tokyo was lauded as the best prepared host city ever. The Japan capital will have overcome losses and prepare all over again before next summer.

Tears of joy

TV anchors burst into tears and thousands erupt in delight as the IOC awards the Games to Tokyo in September. The Games is Japan’s showcase event of revival from a devastating earthquake and tsunami in March 2011.

Stadium scrapped Embarrassment for PM Shinzo Abe as he is forced to tear up blueprints for the national stadium after public anger over a $2 billion cost which would have made it the world’s most expensive stadium.

Logo dropped In September the Games logo is ditched after allegations of plagiarism. Designer Olivier Debie says the design is lifted from his logo for a Belgian theatre.

Cute mascots After the logo disaster, there is relief at the smooth rollout of futuristic mascot Miraitowa (a doeeyed character with pointy ears) chosen by children.

French charges French investigators charge the former head of Olympic Committee,

Tsunekazu Takeda, in January as they probe two payments totalling $2.3 million made before and after the Japanese capital was chosen.

Marathon move

After warnings against holding the marathon in the middle of Tokyo’s sweltering summer, the IOC springs a surprise in October 2019 by shifting it 800km to the cooler Sapporo.

Budget blowout Organisers unveil the final version of their budget in December, with the Games expected to cost $12.6 billion. An audit suggests the govt’s part of the overall bill, which is actually nearly 10 times that.

Cancellation ‘unthinkable’ By late March, with pressure growing on organisers to delay the Games in wake of a worldwide Covid-19 outbreak, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) says cancellation is “unthinkable”.

Historic postponement The IOC and Japan eventually bow to the inevitable and postpone the Olympics in a historic decision. IOC president Thomas Bach says the new dates are yet to be decided.