Tokyo to host 2020 Olympics

The International Olympic Committee voted on Sept. 7 to select Tokyo as the host of the 2020 Summer Olympic Games. This choice came as little shock due to the perception of Tokyo as a safe choice over the other two candidates, Madrid and Istanbul.

The day of the final vote, the three candidates gave final presentations to the IOC, and Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was on hand to quell any lingering fears committee members might have over the nuclear disaster that took place at Fukushima in 2011. He maintained that the disaster’s after effects would in no way compromise the safety of Tokyo, which is 155 miles away from Fukushima, and that plans were already in place to safeguard against the radioactivity  caused by the nuclear meltdown. The Japanese government pledged $500 million to stabilizing the Fukushima plant.

Following a day of presentations by the three city candidates, the IOC president, Jacques Rogge, of Belgium, announced to an overjoyed Japanese contingent, that Tokyo had beat out Istanbul in the final round of voting, with a final tally of 60-36 in favor of Tokyo.

This is now the third consecutive time that Madrid has lost the bid to host the Summer Olympics, and many have cited is flailing economy and high unemployment rates as reasons for its elimination. When the final vote came between Tokyo and Istanbul, there was excitement over the possibility of Istanbul being the first largely Muslim population to host the games, but Turkey’s close proximity to Syria and the country’s internal unrest allowed Japan to edge its way to become the frontrunner.

The Japanese government have an Olympic reserve of over $5 billion, and with previous experience hosting the Summer Olympics in 1964, and the Winter Olympics, both in 1972 and 1998, Tokyo seemed an obvious choice for the 2020 Games.

The final choice of Tokyo comes after a rigorous two year selection process by the International Olympic Committee, a body that is comprised of volunteers from countries that have previously hosted the Games. The number of members allowed in the IOC is limited to 115. The delegates who are selected to become members act as representatives of the IOC within their country and liaise with their respective National Olympic Committees.

The selection process begins with the submission of a city by a country’s National Olympic Committee nine years before the actual Olympic Games, and after a city’s candidacy has been accepted by the committee, they are required to submit extensive blueprints and plans for the organization of the Games. Following this step, each candidate city is visited by an Evaluation Commission, which submits a risk report to the IOC. There are numerous technical briefings and workshops held for the candidates, who then give a final presentation before voting begins.

Tokyo’s win begins a seven-year preparation for the 2020 games. The difficulty and strain that hosting the Olympics can have on a country’s infrastructure is well publicized. The host of the 2016 Summer Olympics, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, has made headlines in recent months due to the widespread protests against what many citizens perceive as excessive spending by the government on the Games and the 2014 World Cup. The IOC remained silent on the protests, only saying that they respected the rights of the Brazilian citizens to “peaceful protest.”

In the time since choosing Tokyo, the 125th session of the IOC has remained busy, electing a new president, Thomas Bach, of Germany. However, with the next selection process set to begin in 2015, there is already widespread speculation as to which country will put forth a candidate.