National

Over the hump: Olympic workers complete wooden roof for New National Stadium in Tokyo

Kyodo

The Japan Sport Council said Friday the wooden roof that will be the distinctive trademark of the main venue for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics has been completed.

The roof of the New National Stadium, which will host the opening and closing ceremonies of both the Olympics and Paralympics, had been under construction since February last year. Fitting together the domestically produced wooden components with the steel framework was considered the most difficult part of the stadium’s construction.

The council said construction is on schedule, with the completion date set for the end of November. Workers have already installed some 28,000 of the 60,000 seats estimated to be used during the games. The stadium was designed by architect Kengo Kuma.

The stadium will host the athletics events for both the Olympics and Paralympics, as well as the Olympic women’s soccer final.

The Olympics will be held between July 24 and Aug. 9, 2020, followed by the Paralympics from Aug. 25 to Sept. 6.

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