The people organizing the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics are keeping an eye on money. They've made cost-cutting venue changes for some of the sports, but they're still facing problems with plans to construct a new national stadium.
The Tokyo Organizing Committee said they could find savings of 700 million dollars by changing venues. Top officials of the International Olympic Committee approved site changes Monday for eight sports. It brings the total to 26 confirmed locations out of the 28 scheduled. But the IOC president is concerned about a controversy over the new national stadium.
(Thomas Bach / International Olympic Committee President)
"We do not want to have a continuing discussion on the stadium there that somehow overshadows this excellent progress being made in Tokyo."
An Iraqi architect won a design competition. The stadium was designed to hold 80,000 spectators. But officials in Tokyo found the construction cost would more than double, so they scaled down the design. But builders are still quoting a high price, the rising cost of materials, and they fear the stadium won't be finished on schedule.
◆keeping an eye on ～に気をつける
◆venue 開催地、会場
◆overshadow 暗い影を投げかける
◆hold 収容する
◆spectator 観客
◆quote 見積もる
◆cite 挙げる
