Aquatics and sports facilities unveiled
JAPAN NEWS-YOMIURI
The Tokyo Aquatics Center features a swimming pool that can be adjusted in length and depth and a diving tower that has five separate platform heights from 1 meter to 10 meters.
TOKYO >> Organizers for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games unveiled the interior of two major venues as they near completion, touting them as world-class facilities.
The Tokyo Aquatics Centre, located in Tatsumi Seaside Park in Koto Ward, will host swimming, diving, synchronized swimming and several Paralympic events. Construction should be completed by February, organizers said.
Ariake Arena, also in Koto, will host volleyball and wheelchair basketball events.
Four out of six permanent venues for the games have been completed.
The 56.7-billion-yen ($517.7 million) Tokyo Aquatics Centre, more than 700,000 square feet and boasting some 15,000 seats, will include seating areas reserved for people in wheelchairs. Once completed, it will be one of the biggest swimming facilities in the world and one of the biggest venues for the 2020 Games.
“The Tokyo Aquatics Centre will become a world-class facility for swimming and diving events,” said Tomofumi Kusano, senior director for venues.
The pool is the standard size for Olympic competitions at 50 meters long, 25 meters wide and 3 meters deep. But the depth and length can be altered via an adjustable bottom and divider. A 10-meter diving tower is also complete.
The aquatics center will be available for competitive and public use following the 2020 Games. Organizers expect more than 1 million visitors annually.
Once finished, the five-story Ariake Arena, will have a capacity of about 15,000 spectators. The 37-billion-yen (about $338 million) building incorporates more than 800 cubic meters (about 1,046 cubic yards) of mostly cedar wood from 14 prefectures across Japan.
After the Games, organizers hope to welcome upward of 1.4 million visitors annually by hosting 10 competitions each year in addition to concerts.
The Yumenoshima Park Archery Field, Sea Forest Waterway and Oi Hockey Stadium were all completed earlier this year. The Canoe Slalom Course next to Kasai Rinkai Park in Edogawa Ward is nearly complete, as are Ariake Tennis Park and the athletes village.
