IOC long shot Watanabe hopes ‘crazy’ Olympic idea sparks debate

Japan’s Morinari Watanabe is a rank outsider to become International Olympic Committee president but he hopes his “crazy idea” to host the Games in five cities at once can spark debate.

The 65-year-old International Gymnastics Federation chief is one of seven candidates vying to succeed Thomas Bach as head of the IOC, with members set to decide in March.

The son of a Hiroshima atomic bomb survivor, Watanabe would be the first Asian in the high-profile post.