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The third annual Meiji Jingu Gaien cycling meeting offered a glimpse of Tokyo 2016’s vision of an Olympic and Paralympic Games in the very heart of Japan’s vibrant capital city. The day saw some of Asia’s top young riders race through the greenery and parkland of the historic Heritage Zone against a backdrop of the city’s unique skyline.

Organised by the Japan Intercollegiate Cycling Federation (J.I.C.F.) and supported by the Tokyo 2016 Bid Committee, the 2009 Meiji Jingu Gaien consisted of a series of races and time trials taking in the iconic 1964 Olympic Stadium and other legacy venues. Bernard Hinault, five-time Tour de France champion, raced on the same course only last year.

The cycling competition took part in the ’Heritage Zone’, one of two symbolic zone hubs in Tokyo 2016’s most compact and sustainable Olympic and Paralympic Games proposal ever. A short walk from Tokyo’s renowned shopping and cultural districts of Omotesando and Harajuku, the Meiji Jingu Gaien event also helped demonstrate the innovative Tokyo 2016 concept of uniting the Games with everyday life in the city.

Dr Ichiro Kono, Chair and CEO of Tokyo 2016, said:
“I’m delighted to see both athletes and spectators given the opportunity to share their passion for sport in the spectacular heart of Tokyo. The Tokyo 2016 Heritage Zone area represents the heritage and values of the Olympic Movement through continuing the legacy of the 1964 Games. Venues that united Japan with the world then are nearly half-a-century later helping us to set the stage for heroes in 2016 and beyond.

“The Meiji Jingu Gaien cycling meeting has also been a showcase of how sport and education can combine for the benefit of young people and future generations. Bringing the Olympic and Paralympic Games to the people through Tokyo 2016 will unite young people with sport and healthy living, while our introduction of Olympic textbooks and official Tokyo 2016 ‘Hometown Heroes’ are already benefitting schools across Japan.”

The Kasumigaoka National Stadium – next to the cycling race course – will host football in 2016 and is a key venue for many sports in Japan, regularly hosting events such as Professional ‘J-League’ matches, the Emperor’s Cup Final and major rugby fixtures. During Tokyo 1964, this venue staged the Opening and Closing Ceremonies as well as athletics, football and equestrian events.

Also close to the cycling course, the innovative Tokyo 2016 venues concept will see volleyball staged at the Yoyogi Park Arena. The building, complete with green roof and green walls, blends seamlessly into the surrounding forest and following the Games will become a venue for winter sports including ice hockey and figure skating.

Yoyogi National Stadium, designed by Kenzo Tange for the 1964 Games, was considered one of the most futuristic and iconic buildings in the world and remains a striking venue for handball at Tokyo 2016. Another legacy venue, the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium, unites 1.6 million people with healthy living every year and will host table tennis competitions at a Tokyo Games.