Tokyo 2020 unveils Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games emblems

Tokyo 2020 organisers have this week unveiled the official emblems of the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The Harmonised Chequered Emblems was results from work undertaken by the Tokyo 2020 Emblems Selection Committee and aim to exemplify Japan and the city of Tokyo, and to represent the spirit of the Tokyo 2020 Vision.

Composed of three varieties of rectangular shapes, the designs represent different countries, cultures and ways of thinking, conveying the Olympic and Paralympic Games’ promotion diversity as a platform to connect the world.

The design was selected following an open competition – the first ever in the Olympic history – which saw a shortlist of four designs selected from 14,599 received from all over the world.

From the shortlist, the winning emblem was designed by Asao Tokolo, a architecture graduate of Tokyo Zokei University who has had his design his work featured in several exhibitions across Japan.

The Emblems Selection Committee, which inlcued leading names from the worlds of sport, business and design, listened to feedback from the general public who were invited to use an online form before the closing date of 17th April before they selected the winner.

Commenting on the emblems, International Olympic Committee (IOC) Coordination Commission member John Coates (pictured) stated “the new Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 emblem symbolizes important elements of the Tokyo 2020 Games vision and the underlying concepts of achieving personal best, unity in diversity and connecting to tomorrow.

"I congratulate the Tokyo 2020 team for the inclusive process that led to this selection.

"The public engagement in the selection process is another sign of growing interest in the 2020 Games.

"Interest and excitement will continue to build, in Japan and globally, after the official handoff to Tokyo 2020 at the close of the upcoming Olympic Games Rio 2016.

"The Tokyo 2020 emblem will become a familiar symbol to people around the world."

All of the contenders have faced criticism, however, with a number of professional designers saying they were less than impressed with the standard of the final four.

Much of the contention is down to the open competition to pick the replacement logos and it is claimed that a strong design can only be the result of Tokyo 2020 working closely with a professional design team.

The news marks the end of an ongoing saga which has caused vast degrees of embarrassment for organisers after the original logo, created by Kenjiro Sano, was axed following suggestions he had stolen the idea.

It was withdrawn after Belgian Olivier Debie claimed that it resembled his Théâtre de Liège logo too closely.

Lawsuits against Tokyo 2020 and the IOC were eventually dropped.

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