To the field visit on the 3rd “Organization Committee” / Rureen November 2 at 6:04

For the Tokyo Olympic marathon and racewalking venue, which has been decided to move to Sapporo, the Organizing Committee has only about a month to the IOC Board of Directors to approve the course. Therefore, we want to improve the efficiency of facility maintenance and management. The Organizing Committee is scheduled to conduct an inspection on the 3rd.

The plan to move the Tokyo Olympic marathon and racewalk to Sapporo, proposed by the IOC, was finally decided by a four-party talk held at the IOC Coordinating Committee on the 1st. It was an unusual decision to move the venue to Sapporo, about 800 km away from Tokyo, the host city, as a countermeasure against the heat wave.

Chairman Mori of the Organizing Committee will urgently work with officials from Sapporo, Hokkaido, and other sports organizations to obtain approval for the course at the IOC Executive Board meeting in Switzerland on the 3rd and 4th of next month. He showed the idea of ​​creating a readiness.

The course in Sapporo has not yet been decided, but since it is not possible to measure the distance accurately when it snows, the Organizing Committee has decided that the marathon course will be based on the existing Hokkaido Marathon that stops at Odori Park in the center of Sapporo. We have identified the issues with the highest priority, and we are considering using a part of the marathon course for the course of racewalking.

The Organizing Committee is scheduled to conduct an inspection on the 3rd.

In addition, because the preparation period until the tournament is limited and it is necessary to save money, we are planning to improve the efficiency of facility maintenance and operation.

The International Federation of Athletics Federations is starting a study to consolidate the schedule into three days, such as running the men's and women's marathon on the same day, because the marathon and the walking schedule are separated.

In addition, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government has not decided on the burden of new costs except that the Tokyo Metropolitan Government will not bear it, and the Organizing Committee is urged to respond to the safe and secure operation of the tournament by quickly changing the venue.

Land link to review reinforcement strategy

On the other hand, the Japan Athletics Federation, which has been taking measures against the heat of Tokyo, will be forced to review its reinforcement strategy.

Marathons and racewalks are greatly affected by temperature and humidity, so the Japan Ryuren is looking forward to the Tokyo Olympics, gathering representative athletes in the summer and training camps, such as weight changes before and after exercise, body temperature and sweat components, heart rate etc. We analyzed the data and focused on measures against heat, such as how to cool the body.

Also, in September, while the heat still remains, the marathon representative selection race will be held on the same course as the actual race, and the players and leaders who have been selected as representatives will hear that they will be “advantageous”. We have been promoting measures to strengthen the players taking advantage of the venue.

With the official decision to change the venue to Sapporo, which was suddenly launched just a month after the race, the Japan Land Federation will be forced to review its strengthening strategy.

Hiroshi Yokogawa, chairman of the Japan Land Federation, said, “We are trying to improve our competitiveness with the aim of Tokyo, and it is not easy to change direction at this point in response to this decision.”

Fumio Imamura, coach of the representative of the Japanese promenade who is expected to win a gold medal, said, “Summer race is very important for the period of getting used to the heat. We planned all the preparations for the race day, and if the venue was in Sapporo, we planned how we would prepare for the race in one month, two weeks, ten days and one week. "We have to keep going."