The 2020 Summer Olympics postponement means more opportunity for Japan to care for the heat issue. (Image via Mainichi)

Can Olympics postponement save Japan from the heat?

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) made a historic decision by delaying the 2020 Summer Olympics and Paralympics in Japan due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic outbreak. It could be held “beyond 2020 not later than Summer 2021”.

While for Japan it seems like the end, seeing from the bright side, it means that Japan has the opportunity to solve the biggest problem haunting its Summer Olympics: summer heat.

Not only could Japan hold the Olympics and Paralympics at the best competitive levels, but also Japan could think of a way to remove heatstroke and the concerns that the competing athletes and para-athletes will suffer from it.

The Governor of Tokyo, Yuriko Koike, stated that the postponement also opened up the opportunity for Tokyo to reclaim the marathon which was shifted to be held in Sapporo over heatstroke.

Koike said that since the postponement allows the marathon in Tokyo to be held in a cooler period.

The President of IOC, Thomas Bach, said that the postponement is not restricted to the summer months, despite the name being Summer Olympics. The options are broad, and they include before and Summer 2021.

While the Olympics postponement could result in massive extra spending, Tokyo 2020 would certainly save some budget if anti-heat measures were no longer required.

Source: https://bit.ly/3asU7EK