TOKYO, Japan (Reuters) — The International Olympic Committee (IOC) held on Monday (November 28) a debriefing of the Rio De Janeiro 2016 Olympics for Tokyo 2020 Olympic officials in Japan.
The event was joined by prominent Games officials and affiliates including IOC’s Games Director Christophe Dubi and Tokyo 2020 President Yoshiro Mori.
The IOC will be debriefing for the Tokyo 2020 organization over the next three days in Tokyo. IOC President Thomas Bach wasn’t able to attend the debriefing on Monday but left a video message.
“I felt the passion of Brazil through the Rio De Janeiro Olympic Games. I thought it was incredible,” Tokyo 2020 President Yoshiro Mori said.
Meanwhile, the preparations for the Tokyo 2020 Games have been mired with scandals and ballooning costs.
Tokyo governor Yuriko Koike earlier this year ordered a review of rising Olympic expenses that recommended changing their venues in an effort to rein in costs projected to hit 3 trillion yen ($26.6 billion), some four times the initial estimates made when Tokyo won the right to host the Games.
“We want to know how we can do it differently. But we can only do that with very open minds, with dialogue, so please in the next three days do that. Exchange, ask questions, contribute, give ideas. This is how we progress. This is how we make the games better,” IOC Games Director Christophe Dubi said at the debriefing event.
Tokyo 2020 Director Toshiro Muto pointed out the Brazil focused on cutting costs and organizing the event should be frugal but worthwhile.
Among the proposals was moving rowing and canoe/kayak sprint events some 400 km (250 miles) north of Tokyo to use existing facilities rather than building new ones in the capital, a move opposed by both Olympic and sports officials.
But the city is now leaning towards building new venues for these and several other events in Tokyo as originally planned, although it would cut the price tags by modifying plans, the Nihon Keizai Shimbun (Nikkei) and other papers reported, quoting people connected with the matter.