Fourth-Place Medal, a Yahoo! Sports blog covering the Summer Olympics in Beijing

The odds haven't changed much in the 13 months we've been handicapping the race to host the 2016 Summer Olympics. (Check out our previous editions here and here.) It's still Chicago, Rio and everyone else. With the IOC's vote on Friday, Fourth-Place Medal will take an in-depth look this week at each of the four bid cities. We've already looked at Chicago, Madrid and Rio de Janeiro. We wrap-up our previews today with Tokyo. Be sure to check back tomorrow morning for our final prediction ahead of the 12:30 p.m. ET announcement.

Pros: Japan hasn't hosted a Summer Olympics since 1964 ... Tokyo's budget is low and its best protected against overruns ... bid promises a "compact, efficient" Games -- every event but shooting is within a six mile radius of city center ... the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano were a great success.

Cons: Will IOC want to go back to Asia eight years after Beijing? ... Tokyo has slightly more public support than Chicago, but the ones who are backing the bid are much less fervent.

Biggest plus: Money, money, money. It's all about the green and Tokyo is flush with it.

Biggest minus: It's very hard to imagine the IOC going to Asia twice in a decade. 

Famous schmoozers: Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama

Twitter-length summary: Tokyo's bid has the least buzz among any of the four candidates. Tomorrow, that should translate into the least votes.

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3 Comments

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  1. anthony b
    1. Posted by anthony b Thu Oct 01, 2009 4:30 pm EDT

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    japan?? they were just in china...chinese japanese same thing you all look the same
  2. OKI
    2. Posted by OKI Fri Oct 02, 2009 1:24 am EDT

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    why not Tokyo after 2004 in Athens then in London 2012.... anthony b, you need to go out from your village.
  3. XC
    3. Posted by XC Fri Oct 02, 2009 2:12 am EDT

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    They really should pick Tokyo. The city's so electrifying with vast amounts of culture, blended with technology! It would be extremely exciting to see the Olympics being held there.

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