The Olympics symbol monument, consisting of five interlocking rings in blue, yellow, black, green and red colours, was taken down from the Tokyo Bay area on Wednesday after the completion of the Tokyo Olympics.
The giant floating rings monument set on a concrete platform at Odaiba Marine Park will be replaced by the 'Three Agitos' symbol, coloured red, blue, and green encircling a single point on a white field of the Tokyo Paralympics, scheduled to take place from 24 August to 5 September.
"I had worries at first about going ahead with the Olympics amid the coronavirus pandemic, but I (now) feel it was good to have it held as the strong performances by young athletes cheered me up," Hiroto Sato, 58, who was watching the removal of the monument from a nearby commercial facility, was quoted as saying by Kyodo News.
The Olympic monument, around 32.6 meters wide, 15.3 meters high and weighing 69 tons, was first unveiled in January 2020.
But the iconic symbol was taken down for safety and maintenance reasons in August 2020 after a decision was made to postpone the Olympics for one year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The monument was then reinstalled in December 2020.
Lit up at night, the giant Olympics rings played a key role in creating momentum for the Tokyo Olympics, which started on July 23 and ended on August 8.
The Odaiba Marine Park offers panoramic views of the Tokyo skyline while overlooking the Rainbow Bridge and Tokyo Tower. It served as a venue for the triathlon and marathon swimming events during the Olympics. It is scheduled to host competitions for para triathlon athletes.
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