Shibata, the Athens Olympic 2004 women's 800 metres freestyle gold medallist, will be one of the presenters when the Japanese capital makes a 10 minute presentation along with their rivals, Baku, Doha, Istanbul and Madrid, before the Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC) General Assembly which is due to take place between April 13 to 15. 

She will be part of a delegation led by Tsunekazu Takeda, President of both the Japanese Olympic Committee (JOC) and Tokyo 2020.

"Although it has been several years since I announced my retirement as an athlete, my involvement with Tokyo 2020 has made me realise that my passion for sports and the Olympic Movement have not diminished a single bit," said Shibata

"It will be thrilling to stand up at the ANOC meeting and tell everyone about our plan to inspire people around the world to take up sport and embrace the Olympic Values."

The presentations before ANOC will be the only opportunity the cities have to publicly outline their bids before the International Olympic Committee's (IOC) ruling Executive Board decide which ones should be put through to Candidate City stage at its meeting in Quebec City on May 23.

Tokyo's delegation will also include Masato Mizuno (pictured), the chief executive of Tokyo 2020, and Yuko Arakida, the sports director of the bid and herself an Olympic gold medallist, having been part of the Japan team that won the volleyball tournament at Montreal in 1976. 

"It will be a true honour to represent Japan and the Tokyo 2020 Bid at the ANOC General Assembly," said Takeda.

"The Tokyo 2020 Bid enjoys strong support across all sections of Japanese sport – including athletes, national sport federations, sponsors and media – and of course the nation's passionate sport fans.

"The JOC is proud of its strong, well-established standing within ANOC and looks forward to meeting with NOC (National Olympic Committee) friends from around the world.

"We are very eager to share Tokyo 2020's plan to deliver a lasting legacy both for international sport and the city of Tokyo."

The Tokyo team is due to arrive in Moscow on Wednesday (April 11) before its presentation on Saturday (April 14). 

"The ANOC General Assembly in Moscow will be a key milestone in the 2020 bidding journey," said Mizuno.

"Meeting face-to-face with the NOCs will enable us to grasp exactly what they expect from our team, and to demonstrate what sets Tokyo 2020 apart.

"The Olympic Family's insights will be invaluable as we prepare our Candidature File in hope of being selected as a Candidate City by the IOC in May 2012."

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