Do you think the International Olympic Committee's plan to move the marathon and race walking events of the Tokyo 2020 Games to Sapporo is a good idea?

Yes, especially considering how hot it might be in Tokyo. Most of the marathon runners probably agree with this plan as well.

Besides, Hokkaido is beautiful and it will give Japan a chance to show it off to the world and tell everybody that Japan is not just about crowded trains and skyscrapers, but also has lots of lovely rural scenery. If you want to promote tourism to Japan, it's a no-brainer.

I think moving ALL the events to such a location is a good idea, and everyone with a brain in their heads and their pockets not open for bribes has thought and said so since Japan first bid. I like how the IOC is suddenly coming up with this and taking credit for the idea. I guess they should be glad they had Doha to look at before people here dropped like flies during the race.

Japan can show off its other beautiful sites aside from Tokyo. It'll be good for the tourism industry of other prefectures as well

No. They should move the starting date of the Games to the middle of October and keep them in Tokyo.

i voted yes.

not easy to accept, but we have to understand why they did it. the safety of the athletes comes first.

and the people of Sapporo very much deserve this too.

Of course it is a good idea, but they should have done it before the tickets went on sale. Now lots of people will be disappointed.

Of course it is a good idea, but they should have done it before the tickets went on sale. Now lots of people will be disappointed.

Are tickets sold for these events? Can you charge people for standing on public streets? I genuinely have no idea. I'm sure people who bought tickets for the stadium finish might feel miffed.

But please move it to Hokkaido, by the sea, it would be fantastic. Move the archery to Kyoto, the kayaking to the mountains, the rowing to the lakes...

I voted 'yes', in the sense that it is a relatively 'good' idea compared to Tokyo, if the law of average temperatures does what it says on the can. As an idea, which most of us expressed here years ago, running it in Sapporo is good, compared to their original horrible and surely unworkable plan.

Presumably such tickets would be for seats in the stadium where the marathon finishes, right?

I understand the IOC desire to maintain tradition, but I think a state approach to hosting games should be taken. Give Tokyo medal round and short tournaments and give other 1st and 2nd tier cities hosting duties for round robin, qualifiers, and environmentally based events. This way you can spread the burden of hosting the games as well as provide a need for infrastructure spending.

Are tickets sold for these events? Can you charge people for standing on public streets? I genuinely have no idea. I'm sure people who bought tickets for the stadium finish might feel miffed.

I think you can buy tickets for the stadium portion, which seems like it'd be a total waste as you'd only be able to see the beginning and end of the race, and most of the time the winner has such a lead that the end will not be very exciting.

Madden, perhaps they will have it all on the big screen in the stadium, so people will kind of be watching the whole thing live, with extra reality at the start and finish lines.

Rather than a 'Tokyo' Olympics, can it still be a 'JAPAN' Olympics? It seems a small change in the face of potential injury to the Olympic crazed runners who will ignore the signs and run themselves into a grave. The Human body relying on evaporative cooling does poorly in high heat AND humidity... and heatstroke kills. Also, in a lesser concern for image, better Hokkaidoo than an embarrassing medical debacle in front of the whole world. Ne?

Rather than a 'Tokyo' Olympics, can it still be a 'JAPAN' Olympics? It seems a small change in the face of potential injury to the Olympic crazed runners who will ignore the signs and run themselves into a grave. The Human body relying on evaporative cooling does poorly in high heat AND humidity... and heatstroke kills. Also, in a lesser concern for image, better Hokkaidoo than an embarrassing medical debacle in front of the whole world. Ne?