Video: Tokyo 2016 - Introducing the City

Final Bid Books for the 2016 Summer Olympics Submitted

The final Bid Books for the 2016 Summer Games were submitted today. From what I have seen it seems like they've all submitted pretty nice plans. Madrid seems the least likely to win the bid considering the games in 2012 are right next door in London. Rio would be a nice pick because the games have never been held in South America. The Tokyo bid is very attractive and would be my second personal choice after Chicago. The winner will be announced on October 2nd this year.

Four cities chosen as 2016 Games candidates

My take: I would love to see either Tokyo or Chicago win! Madrid doesn't have a chance. Rio de Janeiro actually has a pretty good shot at it considering the support behind the bid and the fact that the games have never been held in South America.

From an IOC Press Release:
The International Olympic Committee announced today that Chicago (USA), Tokyo (Japan), Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), and Madrid (Spain) have made it on to the shortlist of cities bidding to host the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The Candidate Cities were accepted unanimously from seven Applicant Cities, which also included Prague (Czech Republic), Baku (Azerbaijan) and Doha (Qatar).

“All the bids were of a very high standard,” said IOC President Jacques Rogge. “It is a tribute to the health of the Olympic Movement that the field was so strong. I congratulate the Candidate Cities and I hope that those cities which were unsuccessful this time have benefited from the process.”

Tokyo 2016 Launches “User Friendly” Website To Promote Bid

From GamesBids.com:
Japan launched Friday a “brand new, state-of-the-art website to act as a window to the international community” at www.tokyo2016.or.jp, as part of its bid for the Tokyo 2016 Summer Olympic Games.

The website is available in three languages, French, English and Japanese, and according to Tokyo 2016 will house a “rich breadth of content – from the latest Tokyo 2016 bidding news and events to interviews with internationally renowned Olympians and Paralympians”.

Tokyo 2016 says the new site is extremely easy to use, increasingly accessible, and has many features such as an “Olympic Voices” and video gallery, with many more to come in the near future.

Dr. Ichiro Kono, Chairman and CEO of Tokyo 2016 said, “our website is one of the most important means to spread our message across the world which will help our bid go from strength-to-strength in the months ahead. We believe we have a unique proposition for the Olympic Family, with an exceptionally compact and green Games to be located at the very centre of Tokyo and at the heart of life in our vibrant capital city. We have no doubt that Tokyo 2016 would herald a new golden era for the benefit of Japan and the Olympic Movement”.

http://www.tokyo2016.or.jp/en/

Tokyo 2016 Unveils Official Bid Logo

(Click image to visit the Tokyo 2016 Official Website)

London 2012 could learn a few things from this... First and foremost it looks like an Olympic Logo. Secondly the imagery calls to mind the city or the nations culture. Additionally, it also follows the rules set forth by the IOC for Bid City Logos. (Chicagos Logo for its 2016 bid apparently did break these rules by using imagery that resembled a Torch and is being redesigned before its official bid submission) The Tokyo 2016 bid committee commented on the logos unavailing saying...

This logo, our MUSUBI knot, integrates the values that underpin both the Olympic Movement and Tokyo 2016. It ties together sport and culture, urban and natural environment, Japan and the world, the world and peace. The Tokyo 2016 MUSUBI also represents a blend of our Olympic heritage and innovation. Our plan will demonstrate the power of the Olympic Games to deliver sustainable development. Our proposed use of Tokyo ’64 venues, which have been in daily use for nearly half a century, is our Olympic heritage. Our Olympic innovation will be the delivery of much needed new sports venues that will serve the sporting needs of Japan and the International Federations for generations to come.

I think Toyko is going to face an uphill battle with their bid unfortunatly. The vote is going to come in 2009, the year after China will have hosted the Olympics for the first time. On top of that the summer games in 2016 will follow the winter games to be held in Sochi Russia in 2014 which is technically part of Asia. If history is any indication the IOC likes to spread out the games geographically. Regardless, it would be great see the games held in Japan. Good Luck!