Olympic golf champion Park In-Bee on Tuesday said that she did not expect Tokyo 2020 "to be hit by serial withdrawals, after a number of top men's players skipped the Rio Games last year," according to the AFP. Park, who won women's Gold, said that "Tokyo should see a better turn-out after a successful competition in Rio." While nine of the top 10 female golfers "turned up," the men's competition had "only four of the top 10." Park said, "I think everybody was just kind of new to the Olympics, and especially as a golfer ... they kind of didn't know what it would be like" (AFP, 2/28).
GAMES PREP: KYODO reported IOC officials and the Tokyo Olympic organizing committee met Wednesday "to discuss preparations" for the 2020 Games "including sports test events and ticketing." Tokyo 2020 Organizing Committee President Yoshiro Mori noted that "he has instructed his team to start thinking of putting what has been discussed so far in meeting rooms into action from around autumn." Mori said, "We must consider matters such as transportation, accommodation and security with enhanced precision" (KYODO, 3/1).
WEIGHT FLUX: KYODO also reported United World Wrestling, the int'l governing body for amateur wrestling, is "mulling revising Olympic weight categories ahead of the Tokyo 2020 Games," a source said. According to the source, "changes will be made in the women's categories" in which Japan's Kaori Icho (58kg), Risako Kawai (63 kg) and Sara Dosho (69 kg) all won Gold Medals at last year's Rio Olympics (KYODO, 3/1).
