Tokyo Olympic boss apologises over stadium

Japanese organisers have given assurances the new Olympic stadium will be ready in time for the 2020 Games.

Japanese organisers apologised to the IOC on Wednesday over the scrapping of the original plans for the Olympic stadium and gave assurances the new venue would be ready in time for the 2020 Games.

"I extended my sincerest apologies for the fact that we would have to change the plan for the new national stadium," organising committee head Yoshio Mori said after meeting IOC President Thomas Bach and his executive board in Kuala Lumpur.

Earlier this month, the Japanese government threw out the design plans amid public criticism of the 252 billion yen ($A2.73 billion) price tag, which was nearly double the original estimate and would have made it the world's most expensive sports stadium.

The government said it would start over with a new design and construction competition. The stadium will not be ready as planned for the 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan, but Tokyo organisers and the International Olympic Committee said they were confident it would be built in time for the Games.

Japanese officials said Bach told Mori there was no need to apologise.

"President Bach gave us his support and confidence in our plans," Mori said. "The IOC will give its full support to the improvements. President Bach has expectations that the plan will be improved."

Mori acknowledged IOC board members had raised questions about the stadium changes.

"He gave us encouragement ... that the Olympic stadium will be completed in time for the Games. He said that this cannot just be left to the government of Japan alone but we will fully cooperate with the relevant bodies. IOC has much expertise that it can contribute to this matter and that they are ready to offer any support necessary."

Toshiro Muto, Tokyo committee CEO, said a surge in construction material costs would push costs up, but organisers would work hard to offset that.

Also on Wednesday, Muto updated the IOC board on the status of Tokyo's other venues, many of which have been moved over the past year in a bid to cut costs. Still up in the air is the location of the indoor cycling velodrome.

Muto said cycling's governing body, the UCI, would hold a board meeting in September on the issue. The UCI has resisted Japanese proposals to move from Tokyo to Izu, about 130km outside the capital.


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Source: AAP


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