Tokyo Olympic stadium 90% complete; opening set for December

TOKYO (AP) — Tokyo’s new National Stadium is 90% completed with the opening of the Olympics just over a year away.

Media were given a glimpse inside the $1.25 billion stadium on Wednesday. It is located in central Tokyo and will be the scene of the opening ceremony on July 24, 2020. It will also be the venue for track and field for the Olympics and Paralympics.

Organizers say they are planning an event on Dec. 21 to inaugurate the new stadium, which was designed by Japanese architect Kengo Kuma.

The new stadium design was first awarded to British architect Zaha Hadid, but eventually the futuristic design was scraped as the cost soared toward $2 billion.

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