AUDIO: John Coates on Tokyo 2020 Progress, Potential Venue Changes

(ATR) John Coates, IOC vice president and chair of the IOC Coordination Commission,opened the final day of the commission's first-ever meeting on the progress of the Tokyo 2020 Games.

Support from the "best of Japan," Coates said, as well as a commitment from the Tokyo 2020 Organizing Committee to engage communities outside of the Japanese capital has laid a "solid" foundation for the Games.

During a Q&A session in Tokyo on Friday, Coates toldAround the Rings that all sports are "in the mix" of discussions on venue changes for the 2020 Summer Olympics.

The canoe slalom venue planned at a park on the waterfront near Tokyo Bay, Coates said, will now be built at another location in the vicinity following public opposition.

Coates added that approval from international federations prior to any venue change proposal is "critical." The IOC vice president said the "compactness" of the 2020 Games remains a priority for the organizing committee.

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