olympics

Hot water: Pressure to move Olympic open-water venue from Tokyo Bay

36 Comments
By STEPHEN WADE and ANDREW DAMPF

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36 Comments
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The public aren't allow to swim at Odaiba due to pollution and environmental dangers. So why is it OK for athletes swimming a marathon event?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Unknown to most, there is a particular type of brain cancer that shows up in surfers who spend a lot of time in polluted waters and certainly swimmers would be susceptible as well. . Aside from that, international interest in the Olympics is on the wane and I suspect no one really cares where any particular event is held.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Tokyo Bay water stinks in summer and it's no place to go for a swim Yokohama is just as bad with sunk boats and floating junk the event needs to be moved out off the bay to cleaner waters but we all know the funds have already been spent and there is no plan B.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Why not just move the whole thing to Sapporo at this point?

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Swimming in Tokyo Bay in heat is really really ok, don't freak out!

I know the article is long but still a few minutes is enough to read it all:

Water temperature was linked to the death of American swimmer Fran Crippen in 2010 at a distance swim in the United Arab Emirates. The autopsy concluded his death was from drowning, heat exhaustion, and included the possibility of a heart abnormality.

It was the first competitive death in FINA's history, and much of the blame was aimed at the swim body.

Competitive distance swim and a few casual stroke are very different things.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

They found radiation from Fukushima as far away as Alaska. Did they test Tokyo Bay for radiation?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Science before politics. They have to prevent drowning. This type of outdoor sport becomes less and less viable on a polluted planet. Japan knew full well the bay remains polluted but looked the other way only until the final year for (in)action. Action is the only remedy now and the venue needs to change. No big loss, it's not like Tokyo loses advertising on something they can't even face themselves.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Take some antibiotics pill before the competition. Problem solved. Ordinary Japanese can also help by pooping less next year... way less during the Olympics.

-5 ( +1 / -6 )

Let’s see some Japanese backers of this moronic decision take to the water and see if they come out without infections?

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Maybe this is a ridiculous thought, but I don't think it's out of the question anymore that the 2020 Tokyo Olympics could become the first Olympics since the Summer and Winter games of 1944 to get cancelled altogether (the games in '44 were cancelled for obvious reasons) or at least boycotted by a large number of countries worried about the health of their athletes. The unthinkable has happened before. Who in early December of 1979 imagined that the U.S. would boycott the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow? Probably nobody, but due to the USSR's invasion of Afghanistan later that the month the U.S. eventually announced a boycott in March 1980. Many U.S. allies (including Japan, South Korea, Canada, and West Germany) also boycotted those games.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

How do they plan on moving all that water from Tokyo Bay to another location?

I know where there are many large tanks full of water, a couple of hours north of Tokyo, and probably with nothing bacterial living in them.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

The poop in the water is the main problem

5 ( +5 / -0 )

Vincius:

Maybe. It might just be looked at how we do country reports on the news. We can substitute Washington for the US, Tokyo for Japan, and Moscow for Russia.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Soon Tokyo Olympics will be labeled Japan Olympic Games!

2 ( +2 / -0 )

what a circus.

it's embarrassing how Japanese politicians show their corrupt nature and ineptitude to the foreign media through their handling of the Tokyo Olympics.

6 ( +7 / -1 )

John beara:

"Can't we just drop some ice in it?"

Hmm. How about we just put some tea bags in it and have some sun tea...

7 ( +7 / -0 )

heat*

1 ( +1 / -0 )

BackpackingNepal... it is triathlon. It is not swimming for fun in a no-man-land river...

Hosting the Olympics in Tokyo in summer was itself an insane decision from the start. People do not want to stay outside and try to take shelter in kombini and commercial centers every 100 meter because of the eat, while elderly hardly venture outside during day hours if it is not strictly necessary for risk of fainting, as it happens already to kids and younger folks doing sports outside. Beside the average Japanese are already pissed off and freak out when tourists crowds streets in groups, or trains with luggages, and occupy whole shops to eat right now. I have students - adults - already worried for their commuting to the office, which is placed in station that leads to Olympic venues... Moving competitions outside is the wisest thing they could come up. After all they have been spending an awful amount of public taxes to build up mostly only Tokyo, and just to fit it structures for spots that after it, nobody will ever care about... (Badminton and Trampoline at the Olympic...?!! Are we serious? Really!?)

6 ( +7 / -1 )

Billions people swim in the river (one of favourite childhood playtime) in India and other developing countries, still strong as an adult.

Swimming in Tokyo Bay in heat is really really ok, don't freak out!

-11 ( +0 / -11 )

The lovely and pristine Ogasawara Islands also happen to be administrated by Tokyo.

Exactly! Even Oshima in the Izu Islands could be used for it, takes 20 mins by plane and it's lovely. What the hell is wrong with these people?

7 ( +7 / -0 )

Nagano is the place to go for this one.

It takes a whole country these days to do healthy, top of the line sports.

Do It in smelly waters? No risk for corps just the sportsman at risk.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

How do they plan on moving all that water from Tokyo Bay to another location? What’s next?

-6 ( +0 / -6 )

Hokkaido has some nice lakes actually. Would be perfect venues for these events in summer. Seriously.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

The problem with everything that is happening now is that if they move this event, every single event can make a case as to why they should be moved out of Tokyo. But these changes are going to start making things ridiculous. These moves come at the expense of tax payer dollars and it makes the IOC look childish as well as unprofessional. The weather in Tokyo has been no secret. They didn't properly do their research.

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

“It’s all under control!” Yuk! Yuk!

4 ( +4 / -0 )

As a surfer, I can attest to the poor water quality(in Shonan) , especially after moderate to heavy rain. I can hardly imagine how awful the water quality is near Odaiba. Moving the open water swimming to Zushi would be a vast improvement!

6 ( +6 / -0 )

Can't we just drop some ice in it?

-3 ( +1 / -4 )

The lovely and pristine Ogasawara Islands also happen to be administrated by Tokyo. Why not move the events there? Then Tokyo can have its cake and eat it too.

10 ( +10 / -0 )

Hope so.

I second that.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Don’t see what the fuss is, if Tokyo bay is not suitable move to a better environment, the “London” games held events out side London at more suitable locations as needed. The sailing events were held in Weymouth bay, more than half way along the south coast.

Admittedly quite late on the day and as others have said it should have been thought of by the local organisers long ago but there is still time to adjust to reality, and if done quietly, without embarrassment.

7 ( +8 / -1 )

I don't blame them, you should be insane to swim in the waters of Tokyo Bay and clearly the warmer the waters become, the more bacterial and all manner of nasty things will appear. One mouthful of water swallowed would possibly leave you in a dire situation after the event, possibly even curtailing any competitive chances later on.

7 ( +9 / -2 )

Soon all the events will be held outside of Tokyo.

Hope so.

9 ( +10 / -1 )

slippery slope...

Argentina is pretty cool this time of year...or Brazil (plenty of Japanese in Brazil, the Olympic committee won't know the difference if you import cavia and other delicacies).

-4 ( +1 / -5 )

"Water temperatures in the venue this summer were very warm, climbing one day to 30.5 Celsius. That's barely under the limit of 31 C set by swimming's world governing body FINA"

These parameters are set by FINA, and I would imagine that they are there for everybody to see, so when you bid for the olympics It would seem reasonable that the bidding country can commit and provide the events, especially when it comes to health and safety, why is it at the last minute that Japan can't provide these sites for safe events? didn't any one think, well the swimming can be held here, so lets make sure that we can comply with the regulations? why is at the last minute that there is a problem, didn't any one check?

"The venue also has water quality issues including E. coli bacteria and problems with water transparency. Tokyo organizers say bacteria levels fall within "agreed limits,"

Didn't anyone think that the event could be held some were else? some were like the south of Japan? like Fukuoka, I am sure the waters are warmer there, and less polluted ? this is not rocket science for goodness sake.

7 ( +8 / -1 )

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