- Date
- 09 Dec 2015
- Tags
- Tokyo 2020 , IOC News
IOC Executive Board approves four more Tokyo venues
The International Olympic Committee (IOC)’s Executive Board (EB) has today confirmed the venue locations for the cycling events at Tokyo 2020, following close consultation between the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), the Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee and the IOC.The finalisation of these venues marks another major step in the venue master plan review undertaken by Tokyo 2020, which followed the recommendations of the IOC’s Evaluation Commission and the unanimous approval by the IOC Members of Olympic Agenda 2020.
Designed to deliver an unforgettable experience for riders and fans, and significant post-Games benefits for cycling in Japan, the venue master plan has been mapped out in line with Olympic Agenda 2020 – placing a focus on cost effectiveness, sustainability and legacy – and Tokyo 2020’s Games’ vision. The venues to be used for cycling in 2020 will be:
• The Road Races and Time Trials will take place in the city of Tokyo, starting and finishing at the iconic Imperial Palace Garden, and showcasing Tokyo’s stunning backdrops.
• The BMX events will take place at a purpose-built temporary facility at Ariake in the centre of Tokyo with 5,000 seats.
• The Track cycling events will take place at the Japan Cycle Sport Centre in Izu, in the Shizuoka Prefecture, approximately 120km from Tokyo. The existing velodrome will undergo significant refurbishment, and the seating capacity will be increased.
• The Mountain Bike events will take place at the Japan Cycle Sport Centre in Izu on an existing course, adjacent to the velodrome, which will be newly renovated to meet the Olympic standard. The course will feature the spectacular Mount Fuji as a backdrop.
This decision is expected to result in savings of approximately JPY 10 billion (USD 100 million) from the revised Tokyo 2020 construction budget. This means that the overall saving is now expected to be approximately JPY 180 billion (USD 1.8 billion) in savings from the revised construction budget.
The athlete experience will be guaranteed, as all athletes and team officials whose events will be at Izu will have the option to stay in the main Athletes’ Village before and after their competition. During the competitions, they will stay at a satellite village located close to the event venues.
As part of a wider showcasing and legacy plan for the sport, the Japanese Cycling Federation and local authorities have committed to reinforcing their support for the Japan Cycle Sports Centre, with the aim of establishing a comprehensive multi-support cycling centre. The Japanese Cycling Federation, along with the Izu City municipal authorities, the Japanese Keirin Association and related stakeholders, have also committed to provide on-going support for national cycling academy programmes.
The venue master plan review has been carried out by Tokyo 2020 and the International Federations in the spirit of Olympic Agenda 2020, which encourages host cities to use existing and temporary venues where possible in order to reduce costs, and following Tokyo 2020’s “athletes first” concept. The approved venue moves will make sure that the athletes have a great Games experience, while reducing venue costs and engaging the population of Greater Tokyo and Japan much more in the staging of the Games.