JAPAN: OLYMPICS: Tokyo's 2020 Olympic committee is confident the Japanese transport system could handle any problems during the Games

Record ID: 331208

  • Title: JAPAN: OLYMPICS: Tokyo's 2020 Olympic committee is confident the Japanese transport system could handle any problems during the Games
  • Date: 6th March 2013
  • Summary: SIGN READING: "TOKYO 2020 CANDIDATE CITY"
  • Embargoed: 21st March 2013 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Japan
  • Country: Japan
  • Topics: Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVA3DFB37CQG1T03CCZX1DPHVGL4
  • Story Text: Japan's transport system would be able to cope with any contingency during an Olympic Games, the organisers of Tokyo's 2020 games bid told the International Olympic Committee on Wednesday (March 6).
    An IOC team - led by chairman and IOC vice-president Craig Reedie - was on its third day of inspection of Tokyo's bid and had a look round the proposed wrestling, fencing and weightlifting venues.
    They were also welcomed by Japan's London 2012 Olympic medallists, including fencing silver medallist Yuki Ota, wrestling gold medallist Hitomi Obara and men's wrestling gold medallist Tatsuhiro Yonemitsu.
    One of the biggest concerns with the earthquake-prone country is the issue of safety and evacuation of such a large number of residents and visitors in the capital city, particularly at its seaside venues which are connected to the main metropolis of Tokyo by bridges and a limited amount of public transport.
    Nihon University Civil Engineering Professor Takayuki Kishii said the city was making preparations to deal with the most severe emergency and added: "I am proud to say that there is no other country in the world that has a system of transportation management so precise to time like ours."
    The evaluation team are due to announce their preliminary assessment of Tokyo's bid on Thursday (March 7).
    One of Tokyo's strengths is the fact many of its venues are already built. Tokyo planners have also been emphasising the compactness of its plan, with 85 percent of the venues located within an eight kilometre (five mile) radius of the Olympic Village.
    Another positive for Tokyo is that support for the bid has increased in the past year.
    According to a poll by the Yomiuri Shimbun Daily released at the weekend, 83 percent of respondents said they supported the bid, up from 72 percent in January 2012. Those against the bid fell to 12 percent from 22 percent.
    Tokyo - which hosted the 1964 summer Olympics - is up against rival bids from Istanbul and Madrid. Each city delivered their candidature files to the IOC in January and on-site inspections by an evaluation commission began in Tokyo this week.
    Madrid is next, from March 18-21, followed by Istanbul from March 24-27 before the commission publishes a technical assessment at the beginning of July.
    A final decision on the host city for the 2020 Games will be made in Buenos Aires in September.
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