Former Olympian picked as new president of Tokyo 2020 Games

Hashimoto announced her selection shortly after submitting her resignation as cabinet minister to Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, who encouraged her to make the Olympics successful.

“I, Seiko Hashimoto, was selected as head of the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics organizing committee,” Hashimoto told a meeting in which she was chosen as the new chief.

“As I’m taking on such a grave responsibility… I feel I need to brace myself.”

Hashimoto faces a raft of tough issues, including taking the helm of one of the world’s biggest sporting events with less than half a year left until its start as well as making sure athletes and officials are kept safe from the coronavirus.

Born days before Japan hosted the 1964 summer Games, Hashimoto took part in four Winter Olympics as a speed skater and three Summer Olympics as a cyclist.

Her name comes from a Chinese character used for the Olympic flame, and she lived up to it, ultimately took part in the most Olympics of any Japanese woman. The highest medal she received was a bronze in speed skating at the 1992 Albertville Winter Games.

A 56-year-old lawmaker in Japan’s ruling party, Hashimoto served as the Olympics minister, doubling as minister for women’s empowerment, since 2019 until resigning on Thursday.

Suga is likely to name Tamayo Marukawa, a former television announcer and ruling party lawmaker, to Hashimoto’s post, NHK public television said. Marukawa, 50, previously held the job for about a year.