Despite delays, Tokyo is on track
TOKYO — Organizers of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics insist construction delays at two key venues will have no impact on preparations for the games, including test events.
The Tokyo Metropolitan Government announced last month construction of the Olympic Aquatics Center and the Sea Forest Waterway will be delayed by two months.
This led to media reports organizers would have to reshuffle test event schedules.
“A recent media report is causing confusion about Tokyo 2020’s test event schedule,” said Tokyo 2020 spokesman Masa Takaya.
“Despite the Tokyo Metropolitan Government’s announcement last month that construction of the Olympic Aquatics Center and the Sea Forest Waterway will be delayed by two months, both the TMG and Tokyo 2020 can confirm that the construction schedule will have no impact on Games preparations or running test events.”
Takaya said the Sea Forest Waterway, which will host rowing, will be completed in May 2019, allowing for the test event to be carried out in August as currently scheduled.
The Olympic Aquatics Center, which hosts swimming and diving, is due for completion in February 2020. Tokyo 2020, the TMG and the sports federation are working toward organizing the test events for aquatics in April or later, ensuring no impact to the preparations for the Games-time operations.
“Overall, Tokyo 2020 is right on track to deliver the Games in two years’ time,” Takaya said. “Our recent report to the IOC Executive Board was well received, and the IOC recognized that Tokyo’s venue preparations are being carried out with an emphasis on project management and quality.”
Additionally, organizers are considering introducing daylight saving time as a countermeasure to the extreme heat that could prevail in the Japanese capital during the games.
Japan has been gripped by a deadly heatwave this summer that has resulted in more than 65 deaths nationwide.
The temperature on Monday reached 106 degrees, the highest ever recorded in Japan.
Yoshiro Mori, the president of the Tokyo Olympic Organizing Committee, met with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Friday to discuss the possibility of introducing daylight saving time during the 2020 Games.
The International Olympic Committee decided this month the marathon would be staged at 7 a.m. to lessen the effect of extreme heat.
Temperatures in central Tokyo often exceed 35 Celsius (95 F) in July and August, made more difficult because of high humidity.
Mori said after the meeting the prime minister said putting clocks forward one or two hours during the games “may be one solution.”
The CEO of the organizing committee, Toshiro Muto, was at the meeting and said such extreme heat had not entered into the Olympic planning.
The 1964 Games in Tokyo were held in October to avoid the harshest of the heat. That was before the Olympics schedule was influenced by rightspaying broadcasters and sponsors.
The 2020 Olympics are scheduled to run from July 24 to Aug. 9.