Tokyo looks like front-runner for 2020 Summer Olympic Games

The International Olympic Committee has released its technical evaluation of three cities vying for the 2020 Summer Games. And the news is good for Tokyo.

The 110-page report gives a first look at how the voting may go when IOC members cast their ballots in September.

Tokyo, which hosted the 1964 Olympics, received praise for its transportation system and for being “a modern, dynamic city that sets global trends and, at the same time, has a strong respect for its history and culture.”

Another candidate, Istanbul, did not fare as well.

Police have clashed with anti-government protesters there in recent weeks. The riots arose after the report was finalized, but the IOC noted the country’s history of earthquakes and its proximity to another troubled region.

“Turkey shares a border with Syria which has resulted in the arrival in Turkey of thousands of refugees fleeing the civil war in Syria,” the report said. “The conflict in Syria presents security risks, although the main effects appear to be in the southeast of the country.”

There have been questions about the third candidate, Madrid, if only because Spain has suffered from economic woes and high unemployment.

“The Evaluation Commission made sure to produce a report that we feel is an accurate, objective and fair assessment of each of the three candidate cities,” said Sir Craig Reedie, an IOC vice president and commission chairman. “We are indeed very pleased with the quality of each bid and it is clear that the IOC members will have a difficult choice to make this September in Buenos Aires.”

Representatives from each city have one more chance to make their final presentations to IOC membership before the voting.

Those presentations could prove critical in a tight race. The report noted that all three candidates are of “high quality” and that “each city offers a unique approach to organizing the Games of the XXXII Olympiad in 2020 as set out in its vision, concept and legacy.”

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