Tokyo Olympic Stadium Plans Scrapped Due to $2 Billion Price Tag

After much deliberation regarding the innovative and costly design for Tokyo's 2020 Summer Olympics stadium, officials decided Friday to scrap the previously agreed upon plans.

According to Will Ripley and Tim Hume of CNN.com, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced that the country would no longer move forward with the unique stadium scheme since it would have cost $2.02 billion to construct.

The move comes as somewhat of a surprise since Abe insisted last week that changing the plan was out of the question due to concerns about getting the stadium finished prior to the Olympics, per Isabel Reynolds and Takashi Hirokawa of Bloomberg.com: "If we held an international competition, selected a new design and did the structural designs, there wouldn't be enough time. There is a strong possibility it wouldn't be ready in time for the 2020 Olympics either."

Despite the issues involved with reversing course so late in the game, organizers have decided it is worth the risk in order to save money.

According to the Associated Press (h/t ESPN.com), architect Zaha Hadid's plan would have cost $730 million more than the original estimate for the venue.  

While Tokyo can still have the stadium ready for the 2020 Olympics if it fires on all cylinders from here on out, there will be a casualty in the wake of the indecisiveness, per SuperSport Blitz:

It is unclear precisely what the stadium situation means for the 2019 Rugby World Cup in Tokyo, but World Rugby is not too happy about the situation, as evidenced by this statement, courtesy of the Irish Times:

"

World Rugby is extremely disappointed by today's announcement that the new National Stadium will not be ready to host Rugby World Cup 2019 matches despite repeated assurances to contrary from the Japan Rugby 2019 Organizing Committee and Japan Sports Council. 

The National Stadium was a compelling and important pillar of Japan's successful bid to host Rugby World Cup 2019, which was awarded to the Japan Rugby Football Union in 2009.

World Rugby is urgently seeking further detailed clarification from the Japan Rugby 2019 Organizing Committee and will need to consider the options relating to the impact of today's announcement.

"

The Tokyo Olympics organizers' late change of heart appears to have led to some collateral damage, but it is tough to blame them for balking at the outrageous cost the stadium would have required.

Sticking with the initial estimate from the very start rather than dabbling in elaborate designs would have been the better move on the organizers' part, especially since the back-and-forth regarding the venue makes Tokyo look like an indecisive host long before the 2020 Olympics even start.

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