“Do not rule out the threat of deaths”: Japan proposed to change the venue of the golf tournament at the Olympic Games 2020

"Extremely irresponsible"

The conflict between the Tokyo authorities and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) over the transfer of a number of competitions to the less hot regions of the country continues to gain momentum. A spokesperson for the parliament was Shigefumi Matsuzawa. He sent a letter addressed to IOC President Thomas Bach, in which he proposed changes to the geography of the Games.

The Olympic golf tournament is due to take place in the city of Kawago, located 50 km northwest of the Japanese capital. However, the politician cited the results of studies according to which the region was recognized as the warmest in the country. The average air temperature during the competition is up to 31.7 ° C.

“The end of July - the beginning of August is the hottest period of summer in Japan, and therefore it would not be an exaggeration to say that forcing an outdoor sporting event in the hottest region of the country is extremely irresponsible," said Matsuzawa Reuters.

He emphasized that anxiety is caused not only by athletes, but also by volunteers and spectators, who will be forced to stay in the open air for a long time. According to his estimates, about 1250 people can become victims of heat stroke.

“The ambulance and the hospitals will not be able to handle it. If patients who faint from heatstrokes come one after another, we cannot rule out the risk of death, ”the politician added.

At the same time, he believes that there is no need to hold a golf tournament far from the capital of the Olympics, as this can happen in the case of a marathon and walking. As an alternative to Kawagoe, one of Tokyo's special areas, Koto, is proposed.

Representatives of the Tokyo 2020 Organizing Committee or the IOC have not yet responded to Matsuzawa’s proposal.

“We will be forced to start from scratch”

The most fierce debate continues to be over the marathon and 50 km walk. A week ago, the head of the IOC Coordination Commission, John Coates, announced the final transfer of the competition data to Sapporo, located 832 km from Tokyo. Despite the fact that the head of the organizing committee of the 2020 Olympic Games Yoshiro Mori acknowledged the feasibility of the initiative, the city authorities came up with sharp criticism.

These days, the situation is being discussed at a meeting of the coordination commission in Tokyo. Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike expressed outrage at the fact that the IOC decided without Japan, and also did not provide any scientific justification for the transfer. In her opinion, such actions jeopardize relations between the parties, and, therefore, the successful holding of the Olympics as a whole.

“Less than nine months remain before the Games, preparation for them goes to the final stage. But now we will be forced to start from scratch. There is no need to say that in the first place we should think about athletes. But at this meeting, Tokyo and its residents should get all the explanations regarding this decision, ”Koike quoted the Japan Times.

In addition, the inappropriateness of transferring competitions to Sapporo is also justified by financial obstacles. It is estimated that this will cost the organizers $ 310 million. A significant part of the money for organizing the Olympics was provided from the capital’s budget, but the city authorities warned that they did not intend to pay the costs if the IOC upheld its decision.

Concerns about weather conditions in Japan began to appear last year, when more than 100 people became victims of extreme heat. To prevent a similar situation at the Olympics, several cardinal measures were proposed at once, including the transfer of competitions to cooler hours and even a temporary change of time zones. In turn, the authorities intend to use a high-temperature-resistant coating when laying roads, as well as to install canopies for spectators and fans everywhere.

Despite the abundance of options, IOC representatives still insist on their own. The decisive argument in this matter was similar competitions at the World Athletics Championships in Doha. In particular, despite the postponement of the marathon races at night, 46 participants were forced to withdraw from the race due to the effects of the heat.

“The decision was made based on what we saw in Doha. If you need any further explanations, I am ready to provide them. We don’t want a misunderstanding between us and the people of Tokyo why the IOC Executive Committee took this step, ”Coates emphasized.

In response, Tokyo authorities objected to the belief that the analogy between Tokyo and Doha is inappropriate, as we are talking about different climatic conditions. In their opinion, the correctness of this position is proved by the successful experience of holding the Tokyo marathon in mid-September.

In turn, the mayor of Sapporo expressed his gratitude for the confidence placed in him and assured the IOC that, despite the tight deadlines allocated for preparation, the competitions will be held at the highest level.

The IOC intends to close the issue of postponing the competition in the near future. To this end, in early November, a special working group will be organized, which will include representatives of the Japanese government, the Tokyo 2020 organizing committee and the city authorities.