What to Expect from the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games
This will be the second time Tokyo will be hosting the summer games, after playing host for the very first time 56 years ago.
The 2020 edition of the Summer Olympic Games will take place in Tokyo, the capital city of Japan. This will be the second time Tokyo will be hosting the summer games, after playing host for the very first time 56 years ago. The growth of sports and the development of new disciplines has seen calls for restructuring the Olympic games bear fruits, with new sporting events expected to make their debut in this year’s edition. Skateboarding, karate, sport climbing, and surfing are some of the newest entrants that will be featured.
With every passing edition of the Olympics, the spotlight has always been on the major track and field events, as well as gymnastics and swimming. The expanded format of the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo will have a larger number of athletes competing on several sports events formedals.
Trials for various Olympic slots are incomplete in some of the disciplines, but some big
names will be expected to compete. The likes of Katie Ledecky, a swimming record holder, and Simone Biles, who was the standout performer in the 2016 edition in gymnastics will be
expected not only to feature, but also to collect medals for their respective countries.
The Olympics Schedule
The event is slated to kick-off from July 24, 2020 all the way till August 9, 2020, although some preliminary events are expected to commence as early as the 22 nd of July. The opening ceremony takes place on the July 24, at the New National Stadium in Tokyo, with the closing ceremony taking place at the same venue on the night of August 9.
Previously, Japan has hosted successful international events, but the only other time the Summer Olympics were held in Tokyo was in 1964. Tokyo becomes the first Asian City to host an Olympics event twice. However, Japan has twice played host to the Winter Olympics, first in Sapporo in 1972, and then in Nagano in 1998.
Tokyo is endowed with several world-class facilities for holding international events, but the organizing committee has done well to ensure that this year’s edition will be staged in even more serene grounds. Existing stadiums for track and field events have been undergoing massive rebuilding and renovations, with 8 new stadiums built since the city won the rights to host the event. In total, the games will be held across 43 venues.
The Nippon Budokkan will hold the Karate and Judo competitions, while equestrian events will be held at the Baji Koen Park.
Tokyo secured the ticket for the host city of the 2020 Summer Olympics in Rio, Argentina in 2013, beating other cities such as Madrid and Istanbul. The final vote was between Tokyo and Istanbul, but the Japan capital city emerged victorious after garnering 60 votes to 36.
Hosting the Summer Olympics places Japan in a good place economically, with the tourism industry set to benefit largely when the global focus turns to Tokyo. The cost of hosting remains high, but for economic powerhouses such as Japan, the benefits that come with it overwrite the costs in the long run.
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