Olympic flag lands in Tokyo
Print Edition
THE Olympic flag arrived in Tokyo yesterday as Japan’s capital gears up to host the 2020 Games, with officials promising smooth sailing after Rio’s sometimes shaky 2016 instalment.
Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike carried the flag during a ceremony at Haneda airport after stepping off a plane from the Brazilian host city, accompanied by a delegation which picked up a record 41 medals in Rio de Janeiro.
“I feel the full weight of the responsibility that this brings,” Koike told the crowd. “I’m very happy that we’re able to bring the flag back after more than 50 years.”
Tokyo last hosted the summer Olympics in 1964, highlighting Japan’s post-war coming out party as it grew into a global economic powerhouse.
“I hope we can revive the same emotion we felt in Rio at the Tokyo Olympics,” said Saori Yoshida, a silver medalist wrestler and captain of the Rio delegation.
A kimono-clad Koike on Sunday received the flag at the closing ceremony in Rio where thousands of fans and athletes donned ponchos on a wet and windy night for a colorful festival of Brazilian culture and music with bursts of fireworks.
Japan sold itself as a safe pair of hands to host the event and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe pledged in Rio he would try to make it the best Games yet.
But Tokyo’s Olympic preparations have suffered high-profile setbacks, including soaring costs and having to redesign the Games logo after claims of plagiarism.
French prosecutors have also launched an investigation into alleged bribes linked to Tokyo’s winning Olympic bid, which organizers have denied.
Koike, who was elected in July as Tokyo’s first female governor, has ordered officials to rein in ballooning costs and pledged a formal review.
That came as concerns grow over soaring costs which could potentially double or even triple from the reported original forecast of US$7.14 billion.
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