Page 38 - Nile Explorer Issue 12

Sports

Game on:

Tokyo 2020 competition

schedule

erhaps more than any other city, triathlon mixed relay, and shooting trap all competition venues, the Olympic
PTokyo bet big on 2020 Olympic mixed team. Village, the IBC and MPC, will be used
Games, with the Japan’s capital ear- August’s arrival will bring with it 25 gold in 2021.”
marking $12.6 billion for hosting an medals on “Golden Sunday”, including Organizing Committee President Mori
Olympic Games that would rejuvenate the men’s 100m in athletics as well as Yoshiro also hailed the booking of the
run-down neighborhoods and turbo- four artistic gymnastics events. The venues, while praising IOC President
charge the country’s tourism industry. men’s tennis singles final is also on the Thomas Bach, who has announced
Then the COVID-19 pandemic hit, cards. that he is preparing to run for second
postponing the Games and throwing the Tokyo 2020 will peak on 7 August with four-year term as head of the global
city’s plans into uncertainty. 34 medal events being held, such as organization.
And after the long wait, and with a the women’s marathon in Sapporo and “For an athlete, not knowing whether
COVID-19 vaccine in sight, the game the finals for baseball, men’s basketball, the Games are on or off, or when and
are on and the competition schedule football and volleyball. how, is a difficult situation to be in and
for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games Of the new sports other than softball, it is obvious they want this information.
was released in July by the Organizing 3x3 basketball will take stage on 24 July Which is why this has been our priority
Committee. Line-ups released for record followed by skateboarding(street) the all long and thanks to many people, we
339 medal events in 42 venues at next next day, when surfing also catches its will be able to organize the Games the
Olympic Games first wave. way we had originally planned it,” he
Featuring a record 33 sports, 339 medal Sport climbing gets under way on 3 said.
events and 42 venues, the Games will August, while karate takes the floor two
open on 23 July 2021 and close on 8 days later. “For athletes eyeing Tokyo 2020, they
August. Actual competition will start Tokyo 2020 CEO Muto Toshiro can now plan and work backwards from
two days before the Opening Ceremony highlighted that the event would require the Games. They now know what to
on 21 July with softball in Fukushima minimal changes in 2021. peak for. We still need to be careful of
– in line with the Games’s theme of “I can now report that the Olympic the coronavirus but now we can get the
recovery. competition schedule is fully confirmed Games under way.
The first medals of the Games will be as agreed in April. The overall schedule
awarded on 24 July in the women’s 10m remains the same,” he said in his address The decision not to cancel the Games
air rifle shooting event. A total of 11 at the Session. and not to hold it this year was made
medal events will take place that day “As a result, athletes working towards by Former Japanese Prime Minister
including in judo, the sport in which the Games can now make concrete Shinzo Abe and International Olympic
Japan normally wins their first medal of plans. I’m grateful to the IOC and all Committee (IOC) president Thomas
an Olympics. the international federations’ enormous Bach over a teleconference call last night.
The action swings into full gear with support in the coordination process. This was the first time since the modern
“Super Saturday” on 31 July featuring 21 “While some coordination issues Olympics began in 1896 that the sporting
medal events, four of which will debut remain, such as specific periods of event has been postponed, though it was
at the Olympic Games: the 4x400 mixed use, I am pleased to announce that the cancelled in 1916, 1940 and 1944 due to
relay in athletics, judo mixed team, same facilities originally planned for war.

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