Wednesday (July 24) marks one year until the start of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, and organizers say the preparations for the summer showpiece are right on track. Construction at all newly-built and temporary venues, including the National Stadium and Olympic and Paralympic Village, are on schedule, they say, and 3.22 million tickets were sold during the first domestic sales phase, exceeding expectations.
Test events are now underway and final preparations are being made to deliver on the Games that organizers in December 2018 said would cost $12.1 billion. But the Games’ preparations have not been without controversy. In 2015, organizers had to scrap the original logo over accusations of plagiarism, and the original design for the centerpiece National Stadium was ditched because it was deemed too expensive.
Earlier this year, Tsunekazu Takeda resigned as president of the Japanese Olympic Committee following allegations of suspected corruption related to the Tokyo 2020 bid. There are also fears over how hot Tokyo may be for athletes and spectators. A record heatwave in July 2018 killed over a dozen people in Tokyo with monthly average temperatures reaching more than 30 degrees for the first time since 1998, according to the Japanese Meteorological Agency. The Olympic Games will be held between July 24 and August 9, and the Paralympic Games between August 25 and September 6.
