Japan Olympic medallist parade to boost Tokyo bid

All the Japanese medallists from the London Olympics will take part in a parade in Tokyo on Monday as part of efforts to boost the city's bid to host the 2020 Games, organisers said. The Japanese Olympic Committee (JOC) said Thursday that the 76 athletes will travel down upmarket Ginza street in convertible cars and buses, the first time that the body has organised such a parade. "We want to stage the parade as a token of thanks for people who have supported us from across the country," JOC president Tsunekazu Takeda said. "It will be great if this will help boost the momentum of Tokyo's 2020 Olympic bid," he told Japanese media. At the London Games, Japan won seven gold, 14 silver and 17 bronze medals and their total medal haul of 38 surpassed their previous high of 37 won at Athens 2004. Some of the medals were shared by members of team events, including women's football silver and men's gymnastic silver. Japanese gold medallists in London included three-time world gymnastic champion Kohei Uchimura, who won the men's all-around title, and women wrestlers Saori Yoshida and Kaori Icho, who won their third straight Olympic gold. Tokyo lost its bid for the 2016 Summer Olympics, which was won by Rio de Janeiro, and tepid public support was cited as a reason for the defeat. An International Olympic Committee survey showed that the rate of public support was 47 percent for Tokyo, against 73 and 78 percent for 2020 rivals Istanbul and Madrid. The host city will be announced in September next year.