Tokyo 2016 arrived at the SportAccord conference in Denver Tuesday with what it calls the “strongest delegation of Olympians ever to represent an Olympic and Paralympic bid city” at the major international sport conference.
A key member of the delegation is State Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Seiko Hashimoto – a seven-time Olympian who represented Japan at both the Summer and Winter Games in cycling and speed skating.
Other delegates include Tasunekazu Takeda, President of the Japanese Olympic Committee and Vice President of Tokyo 2016, Chiharu Igaya, IOC Member, Vice President of the IOC and Executive Board Member of Tokyo 2016, and Yuko Arakida, Vice Chair of the Tokyo 2016 Athletes’ Commission. They are all former Olympic athletes.
Dr. Ichiro Kono, Chair and CEO of Tokyo 2016 and a member of the delegation said, “we are thrilled to be at SportAccord with a fantastic line-up of Olympians. Athletes are at the heart of Tokyo 2016’s campaign and their involvement at the highest levels of government and sports administration is a great asset for our bid. Their commitment to Tokyo 2016 reinforces the bid’s vision of setting the stage for heroes at the heart of Japan’s vibrant capital.
“The involvement of key Japanese government ministers in Tokyo 2016 demonstrates the robustness of our budget and bid pledges, which, due to the commitment of both the Tokyo Metropolitan Government and the Japanese government, are full guaranteed”.
