FIELDS OF DREAMS Although there will be fewer people in the stands, Tokyo 2020 still boasts an impressive portfolio of venues. Michael Pavitt talks us through where the action will happen.
HERITAGE ZONE Japan National Stadium There has been no shortage of talking points about the new stadium, most notably its design and cost. A design by the late British-Iraqi architect Zaha Hadid for a futuristic 80,000-seat arena was originally given the green light in 2012 before being scrapped three years later. Then Japanese Prime Minister Shinzō Abe pulled the plug after costs reportedly doubled from the original estimate of ¥252 billion. The new National Stadium will be the focal point of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, with the venue set to host the Opening and Closing Ceremonies, athletics and football finals. It lies on the same site as the former 48,000-seat stadium which was built in 1958 and used for the Tokyo 1964 Olympics. The venue was demolished in 2015 to allow construction of the new venue to start.
A cheaper design by Kengo Kuma was selected in its place with the Japanese architect fending off claims his idea was too similar to what had come before. The delay to the process prevented the stadium from being used as a venue at the 2019 Rugby World Cup. Construction work was completed in November 2019, with the bill coming in at ¥157 billion. The 68,000-seat stadium features a plantcovered façade, designed to “maintain
harmony” with the natural landscape of the neighbouring Meiji Jingu Gaien area. The eaves of the roof are made of wood from the country's 47 prefectures. Tokyo 2020 Coordination Commission chair John Coates described the stadium as “simply magnificent” and Jamaican sprint star Usain Bolt was among several high-profile athletes to feature at an inauguration event in December 2019. The stadium hosted a poignant moment when Japanese swimmer Rikako Ikee, a leukaemia survivor, held the Olympic Flame alone at an event held exactly a year before the start of the postponed Olympics. The six-time Asian Games champion delivered a message of hope after a year of uncertainty. After the Games, the stadium will be used for sporting and cultural events. It is located close to the Japan Olympic Museum, where Olympic cauldrons from Tokyo 1964, Sapporo 1972 and Nagano 1998 are on display.
Yoyogi National Stadium Formerly known as the Yoyogi National Gymnasium, the venue is one of three located in the Heritage Zone which were originally constructed for the 1964 Games. Basketball, swimming and diving competitions were held back then, but
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organisers will make use of two arenas to host handball this year. Badminton will make its Paralympic debut here and wheelchair rugby will also take place. The Yoyogi National Stadium is famed for its suspension roof design, and has undergone a ¥20.5 billion refurbishment.
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