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Olympic venue construction sites shown to media

Jul 18 (NHK) - The Tokyo Metropolitan Government invited the media to observe the construction sites for the 2020 Olympics and Paralympics venues on Tuesday, 2 years ahead of the games' opening.

The sites for 4 new venues and the athletes' village were included in the tour.

One of them, the canoe slalom course in Tokyo's Edogawa Ward, is the first man-made canoeing course in Japan. It is 200 meters long and 10 meters wide and is expected to be completed in May of next year.

At the construction site for the Olympic Aquatic Center in Koto Ward, work is underway to lift a 6,000-ton roof to a height of 37 meters.

Work to build 3 swimming pools, including a 50-meter main pool and a diving pool, will start next month or later.

The Olympic Aquatic Center is expected to be completed in February of 2020.

The athletes' village in Chuo Ward will be capable of accommodating 18,000 people in 21 buildings and will be completed in December of next year. The Tokyo organizing committee plans to build by early 2020 a temporary commercial building to house restaurants and other facilities.

Officials say the 4 venues shown to the media on Tuesday are 20 to 40 percent completed.

Source: ANNnewsCH

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