IOC approves 2020 Tokyo Olympics cycling venues
Venues for all sports, with the exception of soccer, have been allocated by local organizers.
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TOKYO (AFP) — The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has approved the venues for the cycling events at the 2020 Olympics, Japanese organizers said Wednesday.
All sporting venues for the Tokyo Games have now been allocated, officials added, with the exception of soccer, the venues for which are expected to be announced following next year’s Rio de Janeiro Olympics.
A planned temporary velodrome on Tokyo’s waterside Ariake venue has been scrapped and the cycling will be relocated to the existing Izu Velodrome, 145 kilometers (90 miles) south of Tokyo, set against the backdrop of Japan’s iconic Mt Fuji.
The international cycling union had initially opposed the move, claiming it would detract from the Olympic experience. But the IOC agreed to the switch as it saves another $100 million as part of a raft of cost cuts totaling almost $2 billion.
Road races and time trials will take place in Tokyo, with the start and finish line at the Imperial Palace Garden. Meanwhile, BMX events will be held at a purpose-built venue at Ariake, close to the tennis stadium.
“The Japan Cycle Sports Centre is located in Izu, and is the centre of cycling not only in Japan, but across the whole of Asia,” said Tokyo 2020 CEO Toshiro Muto.
“This location constitutes the optimal choice of venue from a wide range of perspectives including athlete experience, maximum use of existing venues, post-Games legacies and for the future development of cycling in Japan and across Asia.”