TOKYO (Reuters) – Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda said on Thursday that staging the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo would symbolise the country’s recovery from last year’s deadly tsunami after the city made the International Olympic Committee IOC.L short-list.

The race to host the 2020 Games was whittled down to Tokyo, Madrid and Istanbul after Doha and the Azerbaijan capital Baku were dropped by the IOC in Quebec City on Wednesday.

The IOC will choose the 2020 host city in Buenos Aires in September 2013.

“It is a true honour for Tokyo to be accepted,” said Noda. “Hosting the Olympic and Paralympic Games … will serve as a symbol of Japan’s recovery from last year’s tragedy.”

A 9.0 magnitude earthquake and giant tsunami in March last year triggered a nuclear crisis at a power plant north of the city. The disaster plunged Japanese sport into chaos, with fears of radiation forcing several major events to be called off or moved, including the world figure skating championships.

Tokyo, which hosted Asia’s first Olympics in 1964, lost out to Rio de Janeiro in the race for the 2016 Games after failing to capture enough public support for the bid.

Japanese Olympic Committee President and 2020 bid leader Tsunekazu Takeda said: “We have kept the best and improved the rest from our previous bid.

TOKYO, May 24 (Reuters) – Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda said on Thursday that staging the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo would symbolise the country’s recovery from last year’s deadly tsunami after the city made the International Olympic Committee (IOC) short-list.

The race to host the 2020 Games was whittled down to Tokyo, Madrid and Istanbul after Doha and the Azerbaijan capital Baku were dropped by the IOC in Quebec City on Wednesday.

The IOC will choose the 2020 host city in Buenos Aires in September 2013.

“It is a true honour for Tokyo to be accepted,” said Noda. “Hosting the Olympic and Paralympic Games … will serve as a symbol of Japan’s recovery from last year’s tragedy.”

A 9.0 magnitude earthquake and giant tsunami in March last year triggered a nuclear crisis at a power plant north of the city. The disaster plunged Japanese sport into chaos, with fears of radiation forcing several major events to be called off or moved, including the world figure skating championships.

Tokyo, which hosted Asia’s first Olympics in 1964, lost out to Rio de Janeiro in the race for the 2016 Games after failing to capture enough public support for the bid.

Japanese Olympic Committee President and 2020 bid leader Tsunekazu Takeda said: “We have kept the best and improved the rest from our previous bid.

TOKYO (Reuters) – Japan’s Olympic swimmers will prepare for this year’s London Games by undergoing altitude training as planned, despite the death of Norwegian Alexander Dale Oen last week.

World 100 meter breaststroke world champion Dale Oen died after suffering a heart attack at a high altitude training camp in Arizona, prompting Japanese officials to rethink their plans.

However, the Japan Swimming Federation (JSF) told Reuters on Thursday that plans for eight swimmers to train at altitude in France and the United States would go ahead as planned.

“We feel great sorrow at what happened (to Dale Oen),” JSF executive director Masafumi Izumi said. “But the autopsy results did not immediately link his sudden death to the altitude.

“After holding an executive meeting we decided to take all necessary precautions and prepare the athletes in the safest way possible,” he added.

“We will send doctors to monitor the swimmers and before going we will conduct electrocardiogram and heart echo tests under low-oxygen conditions.”

The eight Japanese swimmers scheduled for high altitude sessions in June and July asked for them not to be scrapped, Izumi insisted.

TOKYO, May 10 (Reuters) – Japan’s Olympic swimmers will prepare for this year’s London Games by undergoing altitude training as planned, despite the death of Norwegian Alexander Dale Oen last week.

World 100 metre breaststroke world champion Dale Oen died after suffering a heart attack at a high altitude training camp in Arizona, prompting Japanese officials to rethink their plans.

However, the Japan Swimming Federation (JSF) told Reuters on Thursday that plans for eight swimmers to train at altitude in France and the United States would go ahead as planned.

“We feel great sorrow at what happened (to Dale Oen),” JSF executive director Masafumi Izumi said. “But the autopsy results did not immediately link his sudden death to the altitude.

“After holding an executive meeting we decided to take all necessary precautions and prepare the athletes in the safest way possible,” he added.

“We will send doctors to monitor the swimmers and before going we will conduct electrocardiogram and heart echo tests under low-oxygen conditions.”

The eight Japanese swimmers scheduled for high altitude sessions in June and July asked for them not to be scrapped, Izumi insisted.

TOKYO (Reuters) – Japanese dressage rider Hiroshi Hoketsu looks and dresses more like a soccer manager in his early 50s than the world’s oldest Olympian at 71-years-old. Meet the Benjamin Button of this year’s London Olympics.

A national celebrity, Hoketsu greets you with a firm handshake, his sharp wit and fierce determination striking you immediately.

“I don’t know how you’re supposed to feel at 71,” Hoketsu told Reuters in an interview on Thursday, sitting bolt upright in a jacket and smart yellow tie.

“I’m the same physique as I was at university,” added the German-based rider, who first competed for Japan as a 23-year-old show jumper at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics.

“There’s no special secret. I get up about 7. I used to get up at 5, go riding, go home and then leave for the office for 30 years when I was working. Now I can sleep until 7. Luxury.”

Whippet-thin at 1.68 meters (5.5 feet) tall and 62 kilos 136.4 lbs), Hoketsu steers clear of German food as much as possible.

“I cook four times a week and avoid oily food,” he said. “I don’t eat many sausages.”

TOKYO, April 12 (Reuters) – Japanese dressage rider Hiroshi Hoketsu looks and dresses more like a soccer manager in his early fifties than the world’s oldest Olympian at 71-years-old. Meet the Benjamin Button of this year’s London Olympics.

A national celebrity, Hoketsu greets you with a firm handshake, his sharp wit and fierce determination striking you immediately.

“I don’t know how you’re supposed to feel at 71,” Hoketsu told Reuters in an interview on Thursday, sitting bolt upright in a jacket and smart yellow tie.

“I’m the same physique as I was at university,” added the German-based rider, who first competed for Japan as a 23-year-old show jumper at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics.

“There’s no special secret. I get up about 7. I used to get up at 5, go riding, go home and then leave for the office for 30 years when I was working. Now I can sleep until 7. Luxury.”

Whippet-thin at 1.68 metres tall and 62 kilos, Hoketsu steers clear of German food as much as possible.

“I cook four times a week and avoid oily food,” he said. “I don’t eat many sausages.”

TOKYO (Reuters) – Wincing and gasping for breath, Kosuke Kitajima gave the impression of a man clinging on for dear life at the Japanese national swimming championships. Looks can deceive.

As excruciating as the pain coursing through his body was, the 29-year-old became the first Japanese swimmer to qualify for four Olympics last week, showing glimpses of his top form.

Kitajima, who stormed to gold in the 100 and 200 metres breaststroke at the 2004 and 2008 Games, broke his own Japanese record by clocking 58.90 seconds in the 100 in Tokyo.

He then clung on to win the 200, again edging out Ryo Tateishi, pointing his finger skywards after climbing out of the water and letting out a roar, joy and pain etched across his face.

Kitajima’s time of 2:08.00 and Tateishi’s 2:08.17 both eclipsed that of Hungarian Daniel Gyurta in winning gold at last year’s world championships in Shanghai.

“I feel totally different from last year’s world championships,” said Kitajima, looking ahead to this year’s London Olympics.

“The Olympics is the dream stage. I have that fire to do it all over again.”

TOKYO, April 9 (Reuters) – Wincing and gasping for breath, Kosuke Kitajima gave the impression of a man clinging on for dear life at the Japanese national swimming championships. Looks can deceive.

As excruciating as the pain coursing through his body was, the 29-year-old became the first Japanese swimmer to qualify for four Olympics last week, showing glimpses of his top form.

Kitajima, who stormed to gold in the 100 and 200 metres breaststroke at the 2004 and 2008 Games, broke his own Japanese record by clocking 58.90 seconds in the 100 in Tokyo.

He then clung on to win the 200, again edging out Ryo Tateishi, pointing his finger skywards after climbing out of the water and letting out a roar, joy and pain etched across his face.

Kitajima’s time of 2:08.00 and Tateishi’s 2:08.17 both eclipsed that of Hungarian Daniel Gyurta in winning gold at last year’s world championships in Shanghai.

“I feel totally different from last year’s world championships,” said Kitajima, looking ahead to this year’s London Olympics.

“The Olympics is the dream stage. I have that fire to do it all over again.”

TOKYO (Reuters) – Kosuke Kitajima won the men’s 200 metres breaststroke at the Japanese national championships on Friday to keep alive his bid for a third Olympic double in London this year.

The 29-year-old, who stormed to gold in the 100 and 200 metres at the 2004 and 2008 Games, became the first Japanese swimmer to qualify for four Olympics by breaking his own national record in the 100 earlier this week.

Kitajima clocked two minutes 8.00 seconds to win the 200 at Tokyo’s Tatsumi Pool, fighting off a determined last 50 from Ryo Tateishi, who touched in 2:08.17.

“I can’t speak!” gasped Kitajima, struggling for breath after a rousing battle with Tateishi, who also qualified for London as runner-up in the 100 and 200.

“I was right on my limit at the end as you saw,” said Kitajima. “But that’s the sort of race I live for and to prove I can still do it gives me confidence.”

Both men beat Hungarian Daniel Gyurta’s world championship winning time of 2:08.41 in Shanghai last year.

Kitajima’s national record stands at 2:07.51 while Australia’s Christian Sprenger holds the world record at 2:07.31.

TOKYO, April 6 (Reuters) – Kosuke Kitajima won the men’s 200 metres breaststroke at the Japanese national championships on Friday to keep alive his bid for a third Olympic double in London this year.

The 29-year-old, who stormed to gold in the 100 and 200 metres at the 2004 and 2008 Games, became the first Japanese swimmer to qualify for four Olympics by breaking his own national record in the 100 earlier this week.

Kitajima clocked two minutes 8.00 seconds to win the 200 at Tokyo’s Tatsumi Pool, fighting off a determined last 50 from Ryo Tateishi, who touched in 2:08.17.

“I can’t speak!” gasped Kitajima, struggling to regain breath after a rousing battle with Tateishi, who also qualified for London as runner-up in the 100 and 200.

“I was right on my limit at the end as you saw,” said Kitajima. “But that’s the sort of race I live for and to prove I can still do it gives me confidence.”

Both men beat Hungarian Daniel Gyurta’s world championship winning time of 2:08.41 in Shanghai last year.

Kitajima’s national record stands at 2:07.51 while Australia’s Christian Sprenger holds the world record at 2:07.31.