Summer Olympics

By: Ethan Schmidt

It's that time again. The time that happens every four years. The 2020 summer olympics is taking place in Japan's capital Tokyo. This is Tokyo’s second time hosting the summer olympics. The last time they had it was 56 years ago. There are a few more sports taking place this time such as skateboarding, karate, surfing, and sport climbing. There will be plenty of classics to watch as well.

The summer olympics will start July 24 and go until August 9. The opening ceremony is July 24, and the closing is August 9. Most of the big swimming events will take place the first week and the track and field will take place the second week.

This time Tokyo is looking to many of its pre existing facilities to stage the summer events. They have been renovating and rebuilding wherever they can. Or 43 venues, 25 were already standing, while 8 are new. The Nippon Budokan is getting fixed up as the sight of judo competition and karate.

The decision to host the 2020 summer Olympics at Tokyo was determined back in 2013 in Argentina. The three final contenders were Istanbull, Madrid, and Tokyo. Tokyo ended with the most votes 60 to 36 when it was narrowed down to Istanbull and Tokyo. Hosting the Olympics is a complex proposition for any city. It offers potential economic upsides, thanks to increased construction, investment, and tourism. Many cities struggle to make use of all the buildings after.

In 1964, Tokyo was the first Asian city to host the games. They were initially supposed to host it in 1960, but the geopolitics of the area needed a shift. The 1964 games were actually held in October due to Japan’s midsummer heat and September typhoon season.