Let It Snow in Tokyo

(ATR) It will be snowing at a Tokyo 2020 canoe test event next week.

Organizers say they plan to try out artificial snow as the latest way to keep spectators and athletes cool at next year’s Olympic Games, which will be held in July and August during the worst of the Tokyo summer.

A Tokyo 2020 spokeswoman told AFP that the artificial snow will be sprayed over spectator seating during a sprint canoe test event at Sea Forest Waterway on Sept. 13. NHK reports that small snowmaking machines will produce about a ton of snow per day for use during the test. Organizing committee officials will be on hand to judge the effectiveness of the effort.

Finding ways to help keep athletes, fans and volunteers cool and hydrated has been a priority for Tokyo 2020 organizers. Mist sprayers, shaded or air-conditioned rest areas and handing out water and ice packs are some of the efforts already tried at test events earlier this summer.

The International Triathlon Union (ITU) shortened the distance of the running portion of its qualifying event last month due to the heat.

The ITU also implemented a number of changes for all its athletes competing in the Tokyo test events, including the addition of extra water stations on the run course, air-conditioned athletes’ areas both pre- and post-competition, and revised heat stress protocols, with specially trained personnel added to the technical teams and trained medical personnel stationed every 500m along the run course.

The next Tokyo 2020 test event will be held indoors at the Nippon Budokan. The karate test event is scheduled for Sept.9, a day after the Karate 1 – Premier League meet wraps up.

The next outdoor test event is the Marathon Grand Championship, scheduled for Sept. 15.

Homepage photo: Getty Images

Written by Gerard Farek

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