Demolition of Tokyo's old Olympic stadium completed

Demolition of Tokyo's old Olympic stadium completed

Published May. 13, 2015 2:52 a.m. ET

TOKYO (AP) The demolition of Tokyo's National Stadium has been completed after a series of delays, clearing the way for a new structure that will be the centerpiece of the 2020 Olympics.

Demolition had been delayed by a dispute over tendering, but now all that remains of the old stadium that hosted the 1964 Olympics are piles of rubble that will be removed by the end of September. Construction of the new stadium is set to begin in October.

The new 80,000-seat stadium is expected to be finished in March 2019, and will also be used for the Rugby World Cup in September and October that year.

Plans for the new stadium have been criticized by some prominent architects, who say the design is too big and expensive.

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