Tokyo wants more time to discuss the International Olympic Committee's plan to move the marathon to Sapporo, Yoshiro Mori, the president of Tokyo 2020 Olympics on Thursday.

But Mori, speaking to reporters, also said that Tokyo would have to accept the IOC's decision.

The International Olympic Committee on Wednesday announced a plan to move the marathon and race walking events to Japan's northern Hokkaido island because of worries about heat in Tokyo next summer.

The local organizer, Tokyo 2020, however, appeared to think the IOC had only made a proposal for discussion at their coordination commission meeting planned this month.

Kyodo News reported Japanese officials describing the move as coming "out of the blue".

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