Media Watch - Tokyo 2020; Olympic Wrestling

2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo

Anne Thompson and Arata Yamamoto report forNBC Newsin Tokyo that Saturday's decision could be a"shot in the arm for struggling Japan."

The Associated Press adds: "Japan is counting on the games to boost both the economy and morale."

"The decision suggests IOC members were convinced by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's reassurances that radiation leaks from the nuclear plant wrecked in the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami disaster pose no threat to Tokyo or the games."

The Guardian’s Justin McCurry reports from Tokyo. McCurry covered reactions in Tokyo as the IOC made its announcement on Saturday. He spoke with the media, Japanese officials, and Olympians to illustrate the city’s new road to the 2020 Games.

McCurry writes that despite "lingering doubts" regarding Japan's ability to clean up the Fukushima plant, "there is no questioning the country's Olympic pedigree: the winter games came to Sapporo in 1972, and to Nagano in 1998."

Chicago Tribune reporter Philip Hersh claims Tokyo 2020’s "safe hands" philosophy seemed "borrowed from Allstate commercials." Hersh also discusses Tokyo’s hosting abilities and polls showing that travelers think Tokyo is the sa fest city in the world.

The BBC’s Rupert Wingfield-Hayes writes that the decision is "all good news for Japan's construction companies, who have long been suckled on the teat of government spending." Wingfield-Hayes is referring to the "$8 billion that will be spent on refurbishing old stadiums and building new ones" throughout Tokyo.

Japan’s "Fukushima fury" still affects some "100,000 people who are unable to go home because of the nuclear disaster." Wingfield-Hayes writes that the people of Fukushima can take away one positive thing from Tokyo’s Olympic decision: "The world is now watching even more closely to see what goes on there. The Japanese government has seven years to contain and neutralize the disaster properly."

The New York Times reports that the IOC seemed less concerned about "environmental concerns in Japan" when deciding on a host city for the 2020 Olympics. "The Syrian war on Turkey’s border, a harsh crackdown against antigovernment protesters recently in Istanbul and Spain’s economic recession and high unemployment," The New York Times writes.

The Globe and Mail discusses the IOC’s selection for the 2020 Olympics. According to the Globe and Mail, the IOC "went for a familiar, trusted host." The report references Sochi’s "cost over runs" in preparing for the 2014 Winter Olympics, and Rio de Janeiro’s construction delays for 2016 Olympic venues. These factors fueled the IOC’s desire for a "reliable, dependable host in 2020."

The Japan Times predicts that hosting the 2020 Games in Tokyo is "likely push up Japan’s gross domestic product by 0.5 percent [in 2020] with positive economic effects worth ¥4.2 trillion."

Veteran Olympic journalist Alan Abrahamson analyzes Tokyo's victory at 3 Wire Sports.

Wrestling's Return to the Olympics

"Wrestling is back," writes 3 Wire Sports' Abrahamson. The IOC added wrestling to the 2020 Summer Games program on Sunday. Abrahamson discusses the two important decisions made so far in the 125th IOC Session, the upcoming IOC Presidential election, and what could be next for baseball/softball.

USA Today reports: "After a seven-month exile, wrestling was welcomed back into the Olympic program with a giant bear hug Sunday."

The IOC votes on a new President on Tuesday. Thomas Bach is widely considered to be the front runner. He is challenged by Sergey Bubka, Richard Carrion, Ser Miang Ng, Denis Oswald and C.K. Wu.

Jens Weinreich predicts which IOC members will vote for the German.

Compiled byNicole Bennett.

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