An official said that Japan's new national stadium "will only be completed three months before the start of Tokyo's 2020 Olympics because of a government decision to order a new design," according to the AFP. IOC VP John Coates, head of a commission monitoring Tokyo's preparations, said the stadium "will only be delivered in April 2020." It "is due to host the opening ceremony on July 24 that year." Normally Olympic venues, particularly of this importance, "are handed over at least six months before a Games start." The Japanese government last month canceled "the construction." It "will launch a new tender and hopes to have a new design" before the end of '15. Coates said that "the IOC was now involved in writing the tender" to make sure specifications maintained int'l standards for athletes and spectators. Tokyo 2020 Organizing Committee President Yoshiro Mori told IOC members, "I apologize for changing the design." But "he received backing" from IOC President Thomas Bach. Bach said, "We highly respect this gesture but ... we do not think there is an apology needed for a change of circumstances which is beyond your control" (AFP, 8/1).
