Tokyo Olympics organisers confirm all venues for summer Games

The Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (Tokyo 2020) has confirmed all 43 venues for next year’s event, with the competition schedule now also fixed.

Securing the venues once again was one of the main challenges facing organisers after March’s announcement that the 2020 Olympics would be rescheduled to July and August next year.

The venues now confirmed include the Olympic Village, International Broadcast Centre and Main Press Centre with events in 2021 to take place at the same competition venues that were planned to be used in 2020.

The competition schedule agreed by Tokyo 2020, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) will be largely as originally planned for 2020 but with the start and end times of certain events adjusted for operational reasons.

Tokyo 2021 will commence with softball on 21st July, two days before the opening ceremony, at Fukushima Azuma Baseball Stadium. Preliminary football matches will start on the same day, with rowing preliminary events and archery ranking rounds also to be held on opening ceremony day.

The first medal event, the women’s shooting 10m air rifle, will be held on 24th July, along with medal events in six more sports - archery, cycling (road race), fencing, judo, taekwondo and weightlifting. Urban sports, a new highlight of the Tokyo Games, will commence with men’s and women’s 3×3 basketball on July 24. Urban sports will be held in the Aomi and Ariake areas throughout almost the entire period of the Games.

Commenting on the venues and events schedule, Tokyo 2020 President Yoshiro Mori, advised this week “following the decision to postpone the Games, Tokyo 2020 immediately formed the New Launch Task Force and began to organise systems ready to face this unprecedented challenge.

“Our staff have been working tirelessly around the clock on these preparations, and it is my pleasure to announce today that we have successfully secured all venues and confirmed the competition schedule for next year’s Games.

“I believe that the moment when athletes around the world emerge from this long, dark tunnel to gather at the Games will be a moment of pure and priceless joy. I have no doubt that people around the world will find this sight deeply moving. We will continue to give our utmost to ensure that the Tokyo Games are of special value as a symbol of unity and solidarity in overcoming the COVID-19 crisis.”

IOC President Thomas Bach added “the Olympic Village is the beating heart of the Olympic Games, while the venues are its soul. I am delighted that the Village and the venues have been confirmed for next year. This means that the athletes will have this once-in-a-lifetime experience.

“Athletes from all around the world will live together under one roof in the Olympic Village, sharing meals together, celebrating together, discussing together and forming these unique Olympic communities.”

Muto stressed that it would not just be the 41 competition venues that needed to be secured again, but also thousands of existing contracts spanning the likes of accommodation, security and ticketing.

A series of activities have been planned to mark the one-year-to-go date this week, including the launch of the #StrongerTogether Olympic brand campaign. Activities will be digitally-led and centre around the Olympic flame.

Next year’s Games, which will still be known as Tokyo 2020, will see the debuts of 3×3 basketball, skateboarding, freestyle BMX, karate, sport climbing and surfing at the Olympics.

Image: The Tokyo Olympic Stadium.