Tokyo have won the vote to hold the 2020 Olympics and Paralympics, beating Madrid and Istanbul in yesterday’s vote by the International Olympic Committee, in Buenos Aires.

The vote was a dramatic one as Tokyo won the first round, but Madrid and Istanbul were tied. Madrid lost the tie-breaking vote, leaving Tokyo and the Istanbul to go to the final vote. The Japanese city won by 60 votes to 36 and will now host its second Olympic games, having hosted the 1964 games.

Istanbul had long been considered a favourite for the games, but recent controversies surrounding sport and Turkish society – most famously the harsh repression of protests in taksim Square – saw the bid lose ground on its rivals.

Turkey’s Prime Minister Recep Erdogan told the IOC: “We live at a time when our region and the world crave for peace.
“And at this critical moment, we would like to send a strong message of peace to the whole world from Istanbul, the city of friendship and brotherhood.”