Tokyo 2020 Builds on 'Athletes-first' Approach

(ATR) A workshop for members of the National Olympic Committees is helping Tokyo 2020 fine-tune its preparations for the next Summer Games.

Tokyo 2020, with help from the IOC, organized the two-day event in the Japanese capital on May 25-26.

ANOC Secretary General Gunilla Lindberg joined IOC and NOC representatives in providing guidance and recommendations to Tokyo 2020 on topics including accreditations, the Olympic Village, food services and transportation.

"There are 206 NOCs all over the world - some small, some large - and it is very important that the organizing committee listens to them, learns from their experiences and explains the concept of the Games," said Lindberg in a statement.

"One of our main duties is to make the best possible preparations for the athletes coming to the Games, and to that end we are planning to host pre-Games training camps in Japan. So far, we have had a very good cooperation with Tokyo 2020."

Lindberg is back at work following an illness earlier this month that forced her to miss visits to Los Angeles and Paris as a member of the IOC’s 2024 Evaluation Commission.

This week’s workshop was the latest effort by the Tokyo 2020 organizers to keep NOCs in the loop on preparations and to ensure that the athletes are provided with the best possible conditions for the Tokyo Games.

Beginning in late March, Tokyo 2020 delegations met with all five Continental Associations of National Olympic Committees.

This summer will feature the NOC and National Paralympic Committee (NPC) Open Day events, which Tokyo 2020 says will build on the "athletes-first" approach to the Games’ preparations.

Written by Gerard Farek

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