Tokyo 2016 bid committee members met with five members of the Athletes’ Commission who shared what they learned from the Beijing Games and provided “invaluable feedback” that Tokyo 2016 said will be used to “develop the best possible Candidature File and comprehensive Olympic plan”.
In a press release Tokyo 2016 said commission members exchanged ideas about how to inspire future generations with the Olympic spirit by educating them about the Tokyo 2016 bid and the Olympic Movement, and a legacy “that was born in Japan following the success of the 1964 Tokyo Games”.
Mayumi Narita, vice chair of the commission and three-time Paralympic swimming champion said, “with 95 per cent of sports venues within an eight km radius of the city centre, the Tokyo 2016 Games concept will uniquely integrate the Games into the heart and soul of the city and promises to deliver the most compact Olympic and Paralympic Games in history. This will significantly reduce travelling time between the Olympic Village and venues, meaning athletes can spend more time training and relaxing before and after events”.
Dr. Ichiro Kono, Chairman and CEO of Tokyo 2016 said, “Japan’s Olympians and Paralympians are a true inspiration and their determination to succeed makes them positive role models which our future generations respect and admire. As we continue to prepare our Candidature File, their insights are proving invaluable and are greatly assisting with our aim of ensuring that we place an athlete’s needs at the centre of our Games plan.
“By accessing the wealth of knowledge from Japan’s sports heroes, we can be confident that we will present a Candidature File that reflects the key to achieving sporting success in 2016 at the heart of our nation’s vibrant capital city”.
