Tokyo gives in: Olympic marathons head north to Sapporo

Next year’s Olympic marathons and race walks will be run in rrn city of Sapporo as IOC followed through Friday with a controversial plan to move from Tokyo to cooler rrn city.

Tokyo Goverr Yuriko Koike, who angrily opposed move in a he-on feud with IOC, said Friday she would accept it.

“We cant agree with final decision, but IOC has authority to change,” Koike said on Friday in a meeting with IOC member John Coates. “ most important thing is to assure success of next year’s games.”

One Japanese news report quoted her saying “it was a painful decision, t an agreement.”

International Olympic Committee abruptly anunced change two weeks ago without consulting Koike or many on local organizing committee.

An angry Koike called decision a “shock” and has pushed back against move since it was anunced.

IOC officials, in Tokyo this week to access preparations, met on Friday with Koike, local organizing committee, and national government officials.

IOC was t expected to budge — and didn’t.

Coates, he of inspection team in Tokyo, said decision two weeks ago was me after IOC President Thomas Bach saw television scenes of runners collapsing in extreme heat in marathons at world track and field championships in Doha, Qatar.

unilateral move has created b feelings and offers a rare glimpse of behind--scenes disputes between IOC and local Olympic organizers.

It’s unclear why IOC moved on its own, although Bach and IOC leership must have guessed that Tokyo officials would t reily approve such a rical change. Which was accurate.

According to a national government audit report last year, Tokyo is spending about $25 billion or organize Olympics. Organizing committee officials dispute figure and say it is half that, raising debate about what are — and are t —Olympic expenses.

All of it is taxpayer money except $5.6 billion from a privately financed operating budget.

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