IOC: No city ever as ready as Tokyo
IOC President Thomas Bach and other International Olympic Committee members are calling Tokyo the best prepared host city in memory.
Still, there are obstacles ahead for the 2020 Games, though small by the standards of the corruptionplagued Rio de Janeiro Olympics in 2016.
John Coates, the head of an IOC inspection team, wrapped up three days of meetings in Tokyo on Wednesday and said the city’s summer heat is a growing worry.
Organizers are proposing to start the marathon between 5:30-6 a.m., and have moved up morning rugby matches by 90 minutes to play in the cooler air. Mountain biking will be contested later in the afternoon for the same reason.
Organizers are also struggling to keep the 600 billion yen (about $5.3 billion) operating budget balanced with heat-related solutions driving up costs.
This is the privatelyfunded budget for running the games themselves and separate from billions more that governments are spending to prepare the city.
“The organizing committee and the people of Japan remain on track to deliver spectacular Olympic and Paralympic Games,” Coates said.
Yoshiro Mori, the president of organizing committee, was sitting alongside and was cautious about the plaudits.
“We should not be overconfident about such praise,” he said through an interpreter. “We still should buckle down very firmly ... They praise us, they give us a good report card. But in addition to that I want to be better.”
This summer’s scorching Tokyo heat nudged 40 degrees C (104 degrees F) several times and is running up costs and concerns.
Coates said an IOC panel had studied the problem and called this summer “abnormal.”
“It will continue to be at the front of our minds for us and the organizers,” Coates said. “We will do everything possible to insure that they (athletes) are not competing at risk — or watching at risk.”
Coates said organizers are preparing more cooling light-water sprays, reflective pavement for the running courses, and more shade for fans.
“It’s those sorts of things,” Coates said. “There’s a list of about 20 precautions they think we should take, and they’re not going to be free.”
Coates said those and other costs were stressing the operating budget. The third version of that budget will be presented on Dec. 21. Please submission charities and Daily Freema Giving, 79 Kingston, NY 12