When the International Olympic Committee announced that the marathon and race walk competitions for next year's Olympics would be moved to Hokkaido due to fears that the summer heat in Tokyo might be too intense, Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike had no choice but to accept the directive, although she made a point of expressing her disappointment.
Tokyo had already spent around ¥30 billion on preparations for the marathon and race walk events, and now it wouldn't even be taking place in the host city. The marathon is also usually the penultimate event of the games, with the finish line traditionally located in the main venue where the closing ceremony brings the sporting extravaganza to an end.
The media wrung its collective hands over the decision without explaining something central to the matter. In 2014, the IOC drew up a set of recommendations called Olympic Agenda 2020, which aims to make the games more economical and sustainable by 2020.
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