Lausanne, Switzerland
The International Olympic Committee will nominate Japanese Olympic Committee President Yasuhiro Yamashita as an IOC member, IOC President Thomas Bach said Thursday.
The nomination of Yamashita, 62, a judo gold medalist in the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, will be discussed at an IOC session in Lausanne, Switzerland, in January.
Giving membership to another Japanese will create a win-win situation for Japan and the IOC as Tokyo hosts next year's Olympic Games, Bach said at a press conference in Lausanne.
Morinari Watanabe, president of the International Gymnastics Federation, has been the only IOC member from Japan since Tsunekazu Takeda stepped down in March.
IOC members have the right to vote for Olympic host cities.
Jiji Press