LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND — The International Olympic Committee awarded the 2020 Summer Games to Tokyo over the weekend. The Japanese city won out over Istanbul and Madrid after two rounds of voting during the 125th IOC Session in Buenos Aires.
Tokyo received 60 votes to Istanbul’s 36 in the final round, with Madrid having been eliminated in the first round after losing a tie-breaker with Istanbul. Tokyo, which also bid for the 2016 Olympic Games, previously hosted the Games in 1964.
“Congratulations to the city of Tokyo on its election as host of the 2020 Olympic Games,” said IOC President Jacques Rogge, (pictured) whose 12-year term in office comes to an end on Sept. 10. “Tokyo presented a very strong technical bid from the outset – and it needed to in competition with two such high-caliber bids from Istanbul and Madrid. All three cities were capable of staging excellent Games in 2020, but in the end it was Tokyo’s 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.”
RESULTS:
Round 1
Tokyo: 42
Istanbul: 26
Madrid: 26
Round 1 tie-breaker
Istanbul: 49
Madrid: 45
Round 2
Tokyo: 60
Istanbul: 36
In a separate bit of news, the IOC voted on sports to be included in the 2020 Games. Wrestling won out over squash, according to NPR.
(Image courtesy of the IOC.)
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