Tokyo 2020: Not that hot this year

Before coronavirus pandemic and social justice became the headlines, it was about how the extreme heat at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics would impact the competition. Even for Sailing, athletes were training in heat chambers and testing cooling clothing to prepare for the conditions.

But with the Games now postponed a year, the opportunity exists during the original dates of July 24 to August 9 in 2020 to study how the weather would have been, and as it turns out, it’s not too bad.

Heat became a major concern for Tokyo 2020 after more than 50 deaths were recorded in Japan because of rising temperatures in July last year. As a result, a number of heat-prevention measures were introduced, including the use of real and fake snow, cooling mist sprays, and shading tents.

Fears also prompted organizers to controversially switch the marathons and race walking to Sapporo, more than 800 kilometres to the north of Tokyo.

With the Olympics now scheduled for July 23 to August 8 in 2021, it appears as if fears about heat would have been unfounded if the Games had taken place this year, with the past week only reaching highs of 31 Celsius (87.8°F).

It rained in Tokyo on the original date of the Opening Ceremony, July 24, with temperatures reaching a high of 27 Celsius (80.6°F).

Indeed, the rainy season in the Japanese capital and neighboring areas of the Kanto-Koshin region has only just come to an end, finishing eight days later than average. This makes it the fourth-latest end since records began, as reported by The Japan Times.

Heat will still be a concern for next year’s Olympic and Paralympic Games, but Tokyo’s most pressing issue is the number of coronavirus cases in the city. Japan has reported more than 39,100 cases of coronavirus and 1,013 deaths, with cases rising over the past weeks.

Both the International Olympic Committee and local organisers have promised to deliver a simplified version of the Games following the postponement. The possibility of the Olympics and Paralympics being held behind closed doors has also not been ruled out.

Source: www.insidethegames.biz

Tokyo Olympic Sailing Program
Men’s One Person Dinghy – Laser
Women’s One Person Dinghy – Laser Radial
Men’s Two Person Dinghy – 470
Women’s Two Person Dinghy – 470
Men’s Skiff – 49er
Women’s Skiff – 49erFx
Men’s One Person Dinghy Heavy – Finn
Men’s Windsurfing – RS:X
Women’s Windsurfing – RS:X
Mixed Multihull – Nacra 17

Original dates: July 24 to August 9, 2020
Revised dates: July 23 to August 8, 2021

Details: https://tokyo2020.org/en/games/schedule/olympic/