From the moment Tokyo was announced as an Olympic host in 2013 to the Opening Ceremony, here’s a timeline of the Games that almost never was. From the moment Tokyo was announced as an Olympic host in 2013 to the Opening Ceremony, here’s a timeline of the Games that almost never was.
After a vote that took place in Buenos Aires, Tokyo is announced as the host of the 2020 Olympics, ahead of Istanbul and Madrid. It will be the second time that Tokyo has hosted the Summer Games, having previously done so in 1964. NBC agrees to pay $7.7 billion to broadcast the games through to 2032, extending a current deal running up to the Tokyo Olympics. The 2032 Olympics will be the 23rd to be broadcast by NBC. The IOC adds five sports to the Games; skateboarding, karate, surfing, sports climbing and baseball / softball will all feature at Tokyo 2020. The names for the mascots of the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games, Miraitowa and Someity respectively, are revealed. Miraitowa combines the Japanese words mirai and towa, meaning future and eternity. Someity is named after Someiyoshino, the cherry blossom variety, and also echoes the English phrase “so mighty”. Exactly one year from the opening ceremony, the Tokyo 2020 medals are revealed. Melded from copper and zinc found in donated cellphones and other electronics, the medals have a pebble-like appearance and measure 8.5 centimeters in diameter. Crafted with inspiration from Japanese architecture and the environment, Kengo Kuma’s 68,000-seat stadium in Tokyo is inaugurated. It cost 157 billion yen ($1.4 billion) and is scheduled to host the opening and closing ceremonies for the Olympics and Paralympics, as well as football matches and various track-and-field events during the Games. Cases of an unknown viral pneumonia in Wuhan, China, are first reported to the World Health Organization. The cases occurred between December 12 and December 29, according to Wuhan Municipal Health, but the virus was unknown at the time. On January 7, Chinese authorities identify the virus as a novel coronavirus, and four days later the Wuhan Municipal Health Commission announces the first death caused by coronavirus. The lighting ceremony of the Olympic flame takes place in Olympia, Greece.
