Mizuno Not Seeking Major Tokyo 2020 Role
Tokyo 2020 CEO Masato Mizuno tells Around the Rings he is helping in the transition from bid to organizing committee but indicates that he will not play a significant role in the new-look body.
"We have to make the transition from the bid to an organizing committee and in this absolutely I have still some responsibility," he told ATR in Sochi where he was attending the IOC Sport and Environment conference.
Asked if he wanted to be involved in Games preparations in an organizing committee role, Mizuno said, "Our mission is done. Next, maybe the younger generation can take over."
"What we wrote in the bid book must be realized. That is our promise," he added.
Mizuno will be one of the Tokyo 2020 bid officials meeting with an IOC delegation on Nov. 14 and 15, the first such meeting since the Japanese capital landed the Olympics in September. IOC sports director Christophe Dubi and Olympic Games executive director Gilbert Felli are part of the delegation.
He said appointments of key staff to the organizing committee should be completed by February.
IOC president Thomas Bach and Tokyo 2020 Coordination Commission chairman John Coates will make their first visit to Tokyo later in November.
Outgoing Boston Mayor "Excited" by Bid Possibility
A spokesperson for Thomas Menino, mayor of Boston, tells Around the Rings last week’s decision to study a 2024 Olympic bid makes this a "very exciting time" for the city.
Dot Joyce, the mayor’s spokesperson, made the comments to ATR on Monday. Last Thursday, Massachusetts governor Deval Patrick approved a bill to form a study committee for the 2024 bid.
Joyce added "it’s important they do their due diligence" to see if Boston and Massachusetts can host the Olympics."
Menino will not be in office for the Games. He is retiring and an election will be held on Tuesday for the city’s first new mayor in more than 20 years.
Going forward, Joyce said it is important "that there are members of the city team that can provide continuity" from Menino’s administration to the next on a potential Olympic bid.
The USOC will select a bid city sometime in late 2014. The IOC will vote on a host for the 2024 Olympics at its 2017 Session.
Olympic Hoopster Bellamy Dies
Walt Bellamy, a member of the gold medal-winning 1960 U.S. Olympic basketball team, died on Saturday at the age of 74.
The 1960 team of amateurs included legends Oscar Robertson, Jerry West, and Jerry Lucas. Bellamy, in reference to the 1992 team, called his squad "the authentic dream team."
"We were the best team that has ever played basketball," said Bellamy, according to the New York Times.
Bellamy played 13 seasons in the NBA and was named an All-Star four times. He was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1993.
Homepage photo courtesy of Getty Images
Written by Ed Hula III, Mark Bisson, and Nick Devlin
20 Years at #1: Your best source of news about the Olympics is AroundTheRings.com, for subscribers only.
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