The chairman of the Coordination Commission for the 2020 Games of the International Olympic Committee has informed the governor of Tokyo that the decision has already been made to move the location of the 2020 Games marathons and race walks to Sapporo.
"The IOC, always being mindful of the health and welfare of the athletes, decided to make these changes," commission chief John Coates told Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike at the metropolitan government building on Friday.
Koike said, "I'm firm on the idea of holding them in Tokyo," adding that the matter should continue to be discussed during meetings of the commission from Wednesday including representatives from the IOC and the Tokyo organizing committee.
Except for the opening, the meeting between Koike and Coates, which ran about 90 minutes, was held closed-door.
At the start of the meeting, Coates pointed out the risks of holding marathons in Tokyo, referring to the fact that many runners quit midrace at the World Athletics Championships in Doha held through late September to early this month due to the extreme heat.
"The IOC was shocked by what we saw in Doha," Coates said.
The Coordination Commission chief ruled out further moving up the starting times of marathons that Tokyo has been studying, saying the idea runs against the spirit of "athletes first."
Coates proposed holding the marathon medal ceremonies at the new National Stadium in Tokyo along with the closing ceremony, saying he wants to minimize impact of the relocation for Tokyo.
"It's not a matter of if the Tokyo government insists. The decision has been taken," Coates told reporters after the meeting. "The IOC executive board is the competent authority to take a decision such as this."
Asked whether there is a possibility to hold marathons and race walks in Tokyo, Coates explicitly said, "The answer to the question is no."
Coates said the organizing committee can use its reserve fund to finance the move to Sapporo, but added that the IOC also has an obligation to deal with the matter.
On the other hand, Koike told reporters,"I'm confident [to hold the events in Tokyo] because counter-heat measures that Tokyo has been preparing have been endorsed by the IOC."
"Tokyo has accountability to its people," the governor said, added that Tokyo will continue to make its point at meetings of the Coordination Commission that start Wednesday.
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