POSTED: Monday April 13th 2009
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

More than 600 Olympians, Paralympians and Japan’s sports industry rally to back Tokyo 2016

IOC Evaluation Commission is in Tokyo April 14-20

Tokyo, 13 April 2009 – More than 600 Olympians, Paralympians and members of Japan’s sports industry today turned out to show their support for Tokyo’s Bid to bring the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games to the heart of its exciting capital city, with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Evaluation Commission visit just moments away.

Some of Japan\‘s greatest ever Olympic and Paralympic heroes proclaimed in unison: \“Let\‘s bring the Games to Tokyo in 2016!\”

The group included reigning Olympic champion judokas, Ayumi Tanimoto and Masae Ueno, who both won gold at Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008; Masashi Ishii, Beijing 2008 gold, silver and bronze Paralympic cycling medallist; Yuko Arimori, Olympic silver and bronze marathon medallist; Reiko Nakamura, Olympic bronze medallist swimmer; Saho Harada, Olympic synchronised swimming silver and bronze medallist; Eri Yamada, reigning Olympic champion in softball; Hiroyuki Tomita, Olympic gold and two-time silver medallist gymnast; and Kenichi Yumoto, Olympic bronze medallist wrestler.

The Government Minister responsible for sport, Ryu Shionoya, addressed the elite athletes, sports professionals and administrators from across Japan:

\“I am very proud to share our passion for the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The hope of Tokyo hosting the Games is a common desire across Japan. The Japanese Government, including our Olympian Prime Minister Taro Aso, supports the Tokyo 2016 Bid. We are fully committed to it,\” said the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology.

The Tokyo 2016 supporters also heard from the Governor of Tokyo, Shintaro Ishihara; the President of the Japanese Olympic Committee, Tsunekazu Takeda; and the President of the Japan Sports Association, Yoshiro Mori, at the Prince Tower Tokyo.

Dr. Ichiro Kono, Chair and CEO of Tokyo 2016 and Tomiaki Fukuda, Senior Executive Board Member of the Japanese Olympic Committee presented at the rally about how the Tokyo 2016 Games will be the most visionary and athlete-friendly ever staged, with the greatest positive transformation programme in Games history providing an unequalled sustainable legacy showcase for the Olympic Movement.

“The Tokyo 2016 Games promises to be even more than the most athlete-focused Games ever staged. It will also create an incredible global, regional and national legacy for sport for years to come. We will create an unprecedented sustainable showcase for the Olympic Movement through an inspiring blend of iconic new and existing sports venues and pioneering ways of caring for the environment,” said Dr. Kono.

Also attending the rally were representatives from the Olympians Association of Japan, the Japanese Olympic Committee and the Japan Paralympic Committee.

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Keywords · Tokyo 2016 · Olympic bid · IOC

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