This Thursday 23 July 2020 will mark the One-Year-to-Go milestone before the postponed Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 due to be held in 2021.
A series of activities have been planned to mark this occasion, under the message of the Olympic brand campaign #StrongerTogether, which recognises the importance of solidarity and unity in all our diversity during these difficult times, acknowledging the power of sport and in particular the Olympic Games to bring people together.
Activities will be digitally-led, centred around the Olympic flame, and the resilience and strength of the athletes as they prepare for the Games. This will be supplemented by an exclusive media event in Tokyo to mark one year until the Games begin.
Olympic Movement stakeholders will also be activating across their digital and social media over the coming days, to show their support for all the athletes and Tokyo 2020.
Tokyo 2020 to Mark One Year to Games with video message
The Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (Tokyo 2020) will release a video incorporating messages of respect and gratitude for all those supporting the Games, and support for the athletes aiming to participate in next year’s Games.
The message will be delivered from the Olympic Stadium at a session for media on Thursday 23 July 2020 at 8 p.m. local time (GMT+9) – the same date and time as the Opening Ceremony of the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 next year.
This session will be open for the media only; there will be no participation by members of the public.
Please refer to the Tokyo 2020 media advisory here for further information on how to cover the event on site.
The event will be livestreamed on Olympicchannel.com.
Please find here the Live Broadcast Feed Technical Details including the contact information. Requests must be submitted by 22 July 2020.
All usage by non-rights-holding broadcasters and bona fide media organisations will be subject to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) One Year to Go News Access Rules.
Video News Release
The IOC will provide a video news release (VNR) to all broadcasters on Wednesday 22 July.
The VNR will include the following content:
– interview (in English) with IOC President Thomas Bach;
– archive footage from the Olympic Games Tokyo 1964;
– archive footage of athletes celebrating at past Games;
– archive footage of Tokyo 2020 preparations.
The VNR will be updated on Thursday 23 July to include images from the Tokyo 2020 video message event and an interview with Tokyo 2020 President Mori Yoshiro.
The video will be available for free download in both broadcast and web quality. It will include a story script and a shot list.
It will be posted on the IOC Newsroom, and a link to the video will be sent via email to the IOC Newsroom subscribers.
All usage will be subject to the IOC One Year to Go News Access Rules.
Athlete Chats on Instagram Live
US athletes Simone Biles (gymnastics) and Nathan Adrian (swimming), and Japanese athletes Uchimura Kohei and Murakami Mai (gymnastics) will chat with fans live on the @olympics Instagram account on Thursday 23 July.
The chats will take place at the following times:
– Murakami Mai: 6 p.m. Tokyo time (GMT+9)
– Uchimura Kohei: 7 p.m. Tokyo time (GMT+9)
– Simone Biles: 2 p.m. US Eastern Summer Time (GMT-4)
– Nathan Adrian: 3 p.m. US Eastern Summer Time (GMT-4)
#StrongerTogether film to mark One Year to Go
This is a two-minute video of the Olympic brand campaign #StrongerTogether (with additional 15-, 30 and 45-second versions) representing the solidarity and unity of the Olympic Movement. It includes historic and inspirational imagery from past Olympic Games and epic Olympic moments of solidarity. It culminates with the beacon of hope provided by the postponed Tokyo 2020 Games.
The video will be released on Thursday 23 July on Olympicchannel.com.
Olympic Torch Relay and GIFs
On Thursday 23 July, the @Olympics account on Twitter will team up with a number of past Olympic Games host cities and Olympic Movement stakeholders to recreate the historical journey of the Olympic flame in one joint thread that will unfold throughout the day. The flame will serve as a symbol of solidarity, hope and diversity within the Olympic Movement and around the world, conveying the global sentiment of being #StrongerTogether.
Six-second GIFs from these memorable moments will be available on the Olympics page on the Tenor platform, and distributed across other digital platforms including Twitter, Instagram, WhatsApp and Facebook.
Olympic flame emoji engine
Twitter users will also get to have their own personalised Olympic flame experience starting on Thursday 23 July. Whenever users tweet by tagging @Olympics, and using #StrongerTogether and 🔥 in the tweet, they will get an instant auto-response with a surprise video featuring one of the Olympic cauldron lighting ceremonies from past Games.
Great Olympic Moments on the Olympic Channel
From 24 July to 9 August, the Olympic Channel will present “Great Olympic Moments”, featuring some of the most inspiring, exciting, and unforgettable Olympic memories that have made history at the Olympic Games.
In addition, athletes including Nadia Comaneci, Leander Paes, and Ryan Millar will also share the stories behind their great Olympic memories.
Full schedule and streaming information here.
Information regarding the IOC Executive Board meeting
The IOC Executive Board (EB) will meet remotely by videoconference through a secure electronic system on Wednesday 22 July, to follow up on the decisions of the 136th IOC Session held on 17 July.
Please note there will be no media videoconference after this meeting or other media activities, as the EB will discuss administrative matters only.
