olympics

Tokyo, Istanbul, Madrid make final 45-minute pitches ahead of 2020 vote

34 Comments
By STEPHEN WILSON

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34 Comments
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Japan is a country of almost 130 million people, a country that fighted for the 2020 bid and won, Turkey was dreaming about spending 19 billion dollars, luckly money didnt won this time. And we all know that some of the IOC feared some terrorist attack.

Well, GAMBARE!!!

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Quote from Abe regarding assurance of Tokyo Olympics: "Some may have concerns about Fukushima," Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said in English. "Let me assure you the situation is under control. It has never done and will never do any damage to Tokyo." Abe returned to the issue later when Norwegian IOC member Gerhard Heiberg asked for more assurances. "It poses no problem whatsoever," Abe said in Japanese, adding that the contamination was limited to a small area and had been "completely blocked." "There are no health related problems until now, nor will there be in the future," he said. "I make the statement to you in the most emphatic and unequivocal way."

I know that Tokyo won, but Japan should pass up on the Olympics and focus on the actual problems that is facing the country. It's one more indication of Japan's insanity and insatiable desire to deny there's a problem. Abe said: "Contamination was limited to small area and had been "completely blocked"? How does he know?

-3 ( +1 / -4 )

iskysong HIGH 5!! All you haters, keep on hating. I ♥ TOKYO!!

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Ganbare Nippon!

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Congratulation to Tokyo!

I guess safety, infrastructures and cultures are dominant factors in winning. Tokyo has never failed in any major world class events at all and they proved to be credible and reliable in most aspects including the public transportation systems are well organised and orderly.

Tokyo, you deserve it!

5 ( +5 / -0 )

yayayayaaya its TOKYO!

those who voted earlier against my comments, sorry mates..... you lost and Tokyo won!

4 ( +6 / -2 )

Guess all the naysayers are redfaced.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Ganbatte Tokyo!! 2020 Olympics.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

and it's Tokyo

4 ( +4 / -0 )

TOKYO TOKYO TOKYO

4 ( +4 / -0 )

CONGRATS TOKYO!!!!!

5 ( +5 / -0 )

Someone already won, but the announcement won't be till quarter after the hour.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Madrid eliminated, town to Tokyo and Istanbul.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

And now, Madrid is the first city out.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Thank you Tepco for screwing up something else for your nation..... That aside I would never go to Tokyo for the "summer" games as I would simply melt from the heat. Didn't Tokyo clear 40+ this summer? Are not all the cities going for the bid have extremely hot summers?

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

Well it is down to Istanbul and Tokyo, will go with Istanbul

-4 ( +0 / -4 )

Madrid's first too be knocked out, down to the head to head now.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Istanbul gets it by a nose with a big leap of faith from the IOC because the 2018 Winter Games are probably going to Pyeongchang, Korea, so a summer games in Asia two years later is out of the question.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

The least radioactive gets my vote.....

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Istanbul would be awesome.

0 ( +3 / -3 )

Tokyo Deserves the Olympics.

And besides, Beijing was, and still is, 100 times more of a health hazard than anywhere in the world and they got the olympics.

If Tokyo doesn't get these games, then guarantee - 100% The IOC is corrupted to the core.

-2 ( +5 / -7 )

Tokyo will win! But who will pay the costs? For sure not Abe, Ishihara or Inose. Never in the recent history did a city make any profit from hosting the Olympics. It is just for prestige and fame. Japan has bigger problems now than hosting the Olympics.

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

It will either be Istanbul or Madrid, the fear of Fukushima will be on IOC mind.

-4 ( +2 / -6 )

I've just thrown a few quid on Istanbul. 7/1 not bad odds for a three horse race with all three good candidates for the glue factory.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

According to bookmakers:-

Tokyo 4/5

Madrid 13/8

Istanbul 13/2

but bookmakers are often proven wrong...

1 ( +2 / -1 )

I'd like to see Istanbul get the Games.

Tokyo has had its Olympics, Madrid would be OK but Istanbul would be somewhat exciting. I am sure Tokyo can pull off a decent event but the excitement is not there. Japan is no longer a nation on the way up, like it was in '64. Tokyo has nothing new to offer, just a bunch of empty promises of grandeur and the "exciting East". Well that ship has sailed. I remember hearing some BS promises many years ago about the Tokyo gov wanting to make this city into a "green one". That was before the fight for the 2016 Olympics and F all happened since.

They are turncoats all of them and will say anything ti lure people into this pipe dream. Too bad the country couldn't deal with Fukushima Daiichi in an appropriate way from the very beginning.

0 ( +6 / -6 )

Some interesting comments from people in all 3 countries here:

http://edition.cnn.com/2013/09/05/sport/2020-olympics-tokyo-madrid-istanbul-ioc/

Looks like most of the common people don't want it in any of their countries mainly because it's a huge waste of money!

4 ( +5 / -1 )

Tokyo is too crowded?

Everywhere is crowded, China has the highest population in the world and Beijing was given the Olympic.

It is not so much about crowd, to be precise the bigger the crowd the better for attendance to events.

It is about safety aspects and credibility of the host. I am not a Japanese but I support Tokyo to be awarded this time.

Tokyo has all the necessary infrastructures to support big games like this. The country is crowded but orderly and organised. Fukushima issue should not be an issue to worry considering the location or geographical position of it from Tokyo. If you live or work in Tokyo, there is absolutely no radiation risk of exposure at all.

Istanbul is too risky, riskier than Fukushima....... Madrid is totally unpredictable within the 7 years from now, anything can happen. Tokyo by far is more predictable in term of safety and crowd-control with perfect infrastructures and facilities.

My vote is for Tokyo!

Goooooooooooooooooooooooooooood Luck Tokyo!!!!!

-3 ( +8 / -10 )

My vote is for Madrid.

0 ( +7 / -7 )

Both Madrid and Istanbul have the chance to turn around their current situations, but the worst is yet to come from Fukushima cos they have to get those fuel rods out. I think this will play heavily against Japan, eleven though the IOC has stated it is not considering Fukushima in its decision. I also fear that, if Japan is awarded the games all the lip service Abe has been giving the disaster over the past few weeks will remain lip service and the 'rush' to clean up the mess will stop.

7 ( +10 / -3 )

I want Madrid to be selected. Tokyo is too crowded.

-1 ( +11 / -12 )

Tokyo will win despite the nuclear catastrophe and Tohoku's neglected homeless. The IOC and Tokyo elite will do what's best for the IOC and Tokyo elite

1 ( +12 / -10 )

I still think that Tokyo will win.

3 ( +10 / -7 )

Despite the radiation fears, Tokyo still seems the most stable out of the three.

1 ( +11 / -10 )

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