Tokyo Hosts 2020 Olympics

By Paula Parisi September 7, 2013

Tokyo has been chosen by the International Olympic Committee to host the 2020 Summer Games, beating  Madrid and Istanbul. Voting took place Saturday, Sept. 7, in Buenos Aires.

Early word is that the equestrian events will take place on Yumenoshima Island. The name, which translates as “dream island,” is somewhat ironic given that it is an artificial island built on landfill in the 1950s. There is currently no equestrian infrastucture there and significant construction will have to take place to create an Olympic-calibre riding venue. But with Japan’s promise to invest $3 billion to build 11 new permanent sporting venues and 10 temporaries (plus $1 billion more to create the Olympic Village), funds should not be a problem.

And unlike China, where a lack of internationally accepted quarantine protocols was an issue for horse owners (hence, the 2008 Summer Olympics in China, and the 2008 Olympic equestrian events in Hong Kong), Japan has a professional racing association and observes internationally-accepted disease control measures.

“The authorities in Japan have a history of regularly permitting the practical import and export of horses for competitions,” FEI Veterinary Director Graeme Cooke said. “Given this, and the current good equine disease status of Japan, holding the Olympic and Paralympic Games there in 2020 should be relatively straightforward in terms of moving horses. As is the routine approach, the necessary requirements for the Games would be agreed with the Japanese authorities much nearer the time.”

Cooke further elaborated that the FEI’s partnership with the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) sees the OIE currently developing “an international standard to facilitate the international movement of competition horses, if they comply with a defined and certified ‘high-health’ status.” These OIE procedures, which are expected to be completed by 2020, “would ultimately mean easier participation in the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games,” and for all competition horses traveling internationally. (For an inside peek at the behind-the-scenes workings of the Olympic veterinary facilities, courtesy of The Horse, click here.)

Currently, Yumenoshima Island has a bicycle racing track and is a popular destination for bird-watching.

Timing of the news of Tokyo’s winning bid  came as something of a surprise, since as recently as two days ago it was being reported that ongoing issues with the 2011 Fukushima nuclear plant disaster were threatening the nation’s bid. Tokyo previously hosted the Summer Games in 1964.

Japan’s upcoming Olympic challenge will be greater, since the games will likely be twice the size they were in 1964, when 5,151 athletes from 93 countries competed. The proposed dates for the Olympic Games are 24 July-9 August 2020. The Paralympic athletes will arrive soon afterwards, competingin the period 25 August – 6 September.

The 2016 Summer Olympics are set to be held in Rio de Janeiro.

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