Tokyo Olympics 2020 Rowing Events Cancelled Due to Typhoon Warning

The Tokyo Olympics 2020 is underway. Most of the events have started, and as of right now, China leads the medals tally with four gold medals. Now, on Day 3 of the Games, new reports are emerging that the organizers will postpone the rowing events as weather forecasts show that a typhoon is about to hit Tokyo next Tuesday. Hence, the organizers have rescheduled Tuesday’s events for Wednesday and Thursday.

This will present a new headache for the event organizers amidst a lot of other problems leading to the event.

Rowing events in Tokyo Olympics 2020 postponed

Some events which were scheduled for Tuesday were the Men’s single sculls semifinals, Coxless Pair semifinals, Lightweight double sculls semifinals, and the finals of Quadruple sculls. Women’s events for rowing are also the same. The World Rowing body released a statement regarding the matter.

“Based on the weather forecasts received from the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games weather services, adverse weather is expected on Tuesday 27 July 2021, which would bring high winds and strong gusts creating unequal and potentially unrowable racing conditions,” mentioned World Rowing.

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Moreover, the Tokyo 2020 spokesperson, Takaya Masa, spoke about the troubles faced by the organizers in Japan regarding the event. Significantly, as typhoons are easier to predict than other weather problems, it is easier for the organizers to reschedule the events. He acknowledged the athletes’ preparations for Tokyo are being derailed, but focused on the responsible measures that were taken.

“Unlike an earthquake, we’re able to predict the path of a typhoon so we can make plans, and indeed when it comes to rowing, as a preventative measure, we have decided to change the schedule for the event,”?said Masa.

Problems linger in Tokyo

Besides leading to a cascading effect of problems for rowing itself, the extent of the damage could hamper Japan’s problems of holding some events. As the men’s and women’s triathlon events are set to happen, the strong winds could cause sewage water to be mixed in the water. The organizers scheduled these events for Monday and Tuesday. However, changes to the plans are inevitable.

To ensure the water quality for the triathlons, the organizers have installed triple-layer screens. This ensures the water is free from bacteria and other water-borne diseases. Through daily routine checks, the spokesperson spoke about adhering to the normal rules and regulations to ensure quality venues for the athletes.

Masa mentioned how water flow generators control the rising water temperature when the underwater screens are closed. In addition, they made changes regarding the norms set by the international federations.

Even though the Tokyo Olympics 2020 has begun, Japan’s unlucky charm continues to grow. The organizers and volunteers are making sure that the athletes are safe and can perform despite all these challenges ahead of them.