Cost-cutting dominates debriefing for Tokyo from Rio Games

TOKYO (AP) Discussions of Olympic cost-cutting have dominated a three-day debriefing from organizers of the Rio de Janeiro Games.

More than 500 officials took part in meetings Wednesday that are aimed at drawing lessons from the Rio Games for organizers of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

Tokyo is hoping to avoid last-minute money worries by taking action now in the face of construction costs that have soared since the city launched its bid for the Olympics in 2011.

Rio was forced to make cuts up to the opening of the games because the Brazilian economy went into severe recession after the Olympics were awarded in 2009.

Representatives of the International Olympic Committee, Tokyo organizers and Japan's central and city governments have been meeting in Tokyo to discuss ways of reducing costs, including possibly moving three sports from planned new venues to existing ones.