Tokyo Olympics: 1,000 days to go
A series of events in the Japanese capital marked the countdown to the 2020 Games, which Japan promises will be a positive event for the world.
With a series of events on Sunday, Tokyo 2020 Olympics organizers marked 1,000 days to go before the games begin in the Japanese capital.
Tokyo governor Yuriko Koike and Olympics Minister Shunichi Suzuki, along with several Japanese athletes, displayed a countdown clock that will be placed in the city’s Metropolitan Government building.
“It's finally 1,000 days until the Olympics,” Koike told Japanese news agency Kyodo News. “I want everyone to become excited and to become engaged.”
Tokyo’s second Olympic Games will feature a record 33 sports and 324 events.
Eagerness festival
Marking 1,000 days until the Games begin, a parade and demonstrations of the newly introduced Olympic sports were presented in Tokyo’s Nihonbashi district.
Four floats bearing the numbers 1,0,0,0 were carried along the main street in an event attended by an estimated 15,000 spectators.
The festivities included displays of three-on-three basketball, skateboarding and freestyle BMX, three of the new sports that will be featured at the Tokyo Olympics.
Other sports to be showcased at the Games include sport climbing, surfing, baseball/softball and karate.
Guests at the event included swimmer Ryosuke Irie and weightlifter Hiromi Miyake - both Olympic silver medalists – as well as kabuki actor Ebizo Ichikawa.
“It was great to be part of a big event like this,” said Irie. “When you see so many people coming out in the rain like this, it reminds you how much of a big deal the Tokyo Olympics is.
“Tomorrow it will be 999 days to go, not 1,000, and time will fly by after that. So, it’s a good reminder not to waste a single day and to do what I need to do to achieve the best result at the Tokyo Olympics.”
A Games with impact
Japanese Olympic Committee (JOC) President Tsunekazu Takeda stated the Tokyo Olympic Games would have a hugely positive impact on Japan and the world.
“The Olympic Games has the power to bring dreams to children and cultivate a peaceful society. The success of Tokyo 2020 is fundamental so that sport can contribute to foster a better society and world peace,” he said.
“As Tokyo 2020 approaches in 1,000 days, the Japanese Olympic Committee, as hosts, will become a role model for the Japanese sports world and will make its best effort to become one of the leading countries in the Olympic Family. Together with Tokyo 2020, the JOC will continue to unite all stakeholders within an 'All-Japan' framework for the success of Tokyo 2020.”