Tokyo Games marathon may be moved
Print Edition
The marathon and race walks at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics could be moved to Sapporo where temperatures will be 鈥渟ignificantly lower鈥, the International Olympic Committee said yesterday.
The IOC is considering the move because temperatures in Tokyo during the July 24-August 9 Games could reach the high 30 degrees Celsius.
In Sapporo, more than 800 kilometers further north, they would be 5-6 degrees cooler during the day.
鈥淎thletes鈥 health and well-being are always at the heart of our concerns,鈥 IOC President Thomas Bach said in a statement. 鈥淭he new far-reaching proposals to move the marathon and race walking events show how seriously we take such concerns.
鈥淭he Olympic Games are the platform where athletes can give 鈥榦nce-in-a-lifetime鈥 performances, and these measures ensure they have the conditions to give their best.鈥
The plan to change the location of the events has yet to be rubber-stamped.
The initiative will need the backing of all of the major stakeholders, notably the host city Tokyo, the national Olympic committees and the relevant broadcasters.
The IOC Coordination Commission for Tokyo 2020 will dedicate a special session of its meeting in Tokyo at the end of the month to measures to deal with the heat.
When Tokyo last hosted the Olympics in 1964 the marathon 鈥 won by the great Ethiopian Abebe Bikila 鈥 was run at 1:00pm but that was in the month of October, not August as will be the case next year.
At the recent world championships in Doha, both marathons started at midnight but the heat and humidity still presented massive problems.
Ruth Chepngetich won the women鈥檚 race in a sluggish 2 hours, 32 minutes, and 43 seconds 鈥 17 minutes outside Paula Radcliffe鈥檚 then world record 鈥 while 28 of the 68 starters failed to finish.
The men鈥檚 race was held in cooler conditions but Lelisa Desisa鈥檚 winning time of 2:10.40 was over 0 minutes slower than the world record.
鈥淲e have been working closely with the IOC and Tokyo 2020 on the potential weather conditions at next year鈥檚 Olympic Games and will continue to work with the IOC and Tokyo 2020 on the proposal to move the road events to Sapporo,鈥 said International Amateur Athletics Federations鈥 President Sebastian Coe.
鈥淕iving athletes the best platform for their performances within the environment they are in is central to all major events. We will work with the organizers to create the very best marathon and race walk courses for next year鈥檚 Olympics.鈥
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