Athletes greeted from the Olympic Village by the IOC President
Speaking from the Olympic Village during his recent visit to Tokyo, IOC President Thomas Bach promised the athletes an unforgettable experience at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 next year.
“You will never ever forget these moments in the Olympic Village in all your life. And with the conditions our Japanese friends are offering here, the experience will be even more fantastic,” said President Bach in a video message addressing the global athletes’ community.
“This is the place to be nine months from now. I am very happy to be able to greet you here from the Olympic Village in Tokyo,” he added.
While acknowledging the difficulties that many athletes are currently facing due to restrictive measures put in place to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, the IOC President encouraged them to keep up with their preparations.
“Get ready for these Olympic Games and train even harder, even under these very difficult circumstances many of you, and most of you, are in at this moment. But if you look around again, I think it’s worth the effort. I am looking forward to seeing you at Tokyo 2020, in Tokyo 2020 plus one,” he said.
The water-side Olympic Village is designed to house the majority of athletes who will be competing at the Games. President Bach praised the accommodation and specifically the space, the light and the view that the athletes will enjoy.
He also stopped by the Olympic Stadium where he commended the atmosphere and design created by architect Kengo Kuma, who was also a member of the jury for the construction of Olympic House in Lausanne.
President Bach started his visit in Japan by meeting the new Japanese Prime Minister, Yoshihide Suga. During the meeting of the joint IOC, International Paralympic Committee (IPC) and Tokyo 2020 project review that followed, all partners reaffirmed their full commitment to delivering Olympic and Paralympic Games fit for a post-coronavirus world next year.
Athletes are regularly updated directly by President Bach through the Athlete365 community and during the Global Athlete Network Commission calls.