Buenos Aires: Tokyo have won the right to host the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games.The Japanese capital saw off the challenges of Madrid and Istanbul to win a tense vote in Buenos Aires.
The vote by the International Olympic Committee meeting saw Tokyo win the first round of voting with the other two cities polling the same number of votes.
A tie-break saw Madrid eliminated by four votes to set up a final round between Istanbul and Tokyo – with the latter emerging triumphant after polling 60 votes to Istanbuls 36.
IOC President Jacques Rogge said: “Congratulations to the city of Tokyo on its election as host of the 2020 Olympic Games.
“Tokyo presented a very strong technical bid from the outset – and it needed to in competition with two such high-calibre bids from Istanbul and Madrid.
“All three cities were capable of staging excellent Games in 2020, but in the end it was Tokyos bid that resonated the most with the IOC membership, inviting us to “discover tomorrow” by delivering a well-organised and safe Games that will reinforce the Olympic values while demonstrating the benefits of sport to a new generation.”
Tsunekazu Takeda, the head of the Japanese Olympic Committee, said: “Tokyo is honoured and humbled by the International Olympic Committees (IOC) decision to award us the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
“It is with an incredible sense of excitement that we express our thanks.”
“The Olympic Family has put its faith in our great city to deliver the memorable Games we have promised, and we will not let them down.”
It will be the second time Tokyo has hosted the Olympics – the Games were held there in 1964 when Lynn Davies, Ann Packer and Mary Rand famously won gold for Great Britain.
