Next year's Olympic marathon and race walk events are being moved from Tokyo to the northern city of Sapporo.

The move is aimed at avoiding the extreme summer heat, with the International Olympic Committee saying temperatures will be five to six degrees cooler in Sapporo.

Representatives of four bodies involved in organizing the 2020 Tokyo Olympics met on Friday to discuss the issue.

An IOC official stressed that his committee holds the ultimate authority to change the venue.

He also said Tokyo's metropolitan government won't be asked to bear the cost of the move and pledged there would be no other venue changes.

Tokyo governor Yuriko Koike says she opposes the decision, but reluctantly accepts it.

She said, " The explanation that the IOC gave us is not enough and there are some parts we can't agree on.

The marathon is one of the key events in the Summer Olympics and has traditionally been held in the host city.

Source: ANNnewsCH