Tokyo Games could be 'greatest ever', says IOC's Coates

Tokyo Games could be 'greatest ever', says IOC's Coates

Senior IOC official John Coates says that next year's delayed Tokyo Olympics could be "amongst the greatest Games ever".

SHOWS: SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA (MAY 9, 2020) (AUSTRALIAN OLYMPIC COMMITTEE - ACCESS ALL) 1.

AUSTRALIAN OLYMPIC COMMITTEE CHIEF EXECUTIVE MATT CARROLL AND AUSTRALIAN OLYMPIC COMMITTEE PRESIDENT JOHN COATES SITTING AT TABLE DURING VIRTUAL ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 2.

(SOUNDBITE) (English) AUSTRALIAN OLYMPIC COMMITTEE PRESIDENT JOHN COATES, SAYING: "I believe the Tokyo Olympics may ultimately be amongst the greatest Games ever, if not the greatest.

And putting this parochialism of a proud Sydney boy aside and in the spirit of citius, altius, fortius, I certainly hope Tokyo will be." 3.

CARROLL AND COATES IN MEETING 4.

(SOUNDBITE) (English) AUSTRALIAN OLYMPIC COMMITTEE PRESIDENT JOHN COATES, SAYING: "Because we're all emerging from a time of global distress, because we must wait longer than the already-long wait for an Olympics, the Games of Tokyo will gently but perceptibly echo the sheer joy and relief of the other delayed Olympics of Antwerp in 1920 and London in 1948." 5.

CARROLL AND COATES IN MEETING STORY: Senior international Olympics official John Coates said on Saturday (May 9) the delayed Tokyo Olympics could end up being the greatest Games ever, coming next year as the world emerges from COVID-19 crisis.

Coates, Australia's Olympic chief and head of the International Olympic Committee's inspectorate for the Games, cited the examples of positive Summer Games that followed the two world wars of the 20th century.

The Tokyo Games were postponed for a year to 2021 in the aftermath of the new coronavirus outbreak.

Coates said he thought Tokyo could surpass even the reputation of the 2000 Sydney Games, which he helped organize and were described by then IOC chief Juan Antonio Samaranch as "the best Olympic Games ever." (Production: James Redmayne)