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Tokyo Olympics announce brand new heat-prevention measure: 1,300 tons of ice

10 Comments
By SoraNews24

With the 2020 Tokyo Olympics less than a year away, the burning question on everyone’s mind is: will anyone die from the excruciating heat, or just be hospitalized?

It’s certainly occupying the host city and organizer’s agenda recently as past attempts such as blaring air conditioners and goofy hats have yet to assuage concerns.

▼ While we can all agree that umbrella hats are totally stylish, are they enough?

Now, however, thanks to constructive complaints during test events, a clearer picture of what’s truly needed has emerged, and what’s needed is a load of ice: 1,300 tons to be exact!

That would equate to about 38 large-sized tank trucks filled with the frosty frozen fluid. This will be divvied up and used in ice baths that will be installed at 100 event and practice venues for athletes to cool down in should the weather reach its expected level of heat and humidity.

That’s just the tip of the iceberg, though. In addition to ugly hats, volunteers will be given multiple bottles of water to stay hydrated with and will also be given salt tablets, sweat pads, instant coolants, and best of all, ice cream of a yet to be determined flavor. Spectators, meanwhile, will reap the benefits of 20,000 square meters of tent coverage and one drinking fountain per 500 to 3,000 people expected to attend.

In addition, the games will also be working with Chinese IT giant and Olympic sponsor Alibaba to develop an app that everyone can use to monitor heat indexes at venues and give real-time warnings for heat stroke.

This is certainly a step up from fishing hats, but all this ice cream is indeed every bit as expensive as it sounds. The previous budget for heat prevention stood at four billion yen split evenly between Tokyo and the Olympic organizers. Now, thanks to these additional measures, the budget has swollen to a whopping 10 billion, again evenly split.

Taking the money into consideration, many online were less than impressed with the low-tech solutions such as of a bunch of ice.

“Ice?! Did we travel back to WWII?”

“I can’t help but think about how stupid this is.”

“They should just cover everything in gold. It’d cost the same and be just as effective.”

“They seem to be treating this like a gambling addict would.”

“Ice cream?! Hah! That’ll last about two seconds out there.”

“Is Japan technically a developing country yet?”

“I bet on TV they’ll promote the ice as ‘Made In Japan.'”

“10 billion yen on things that will just melt away.”

This budget also isn’t taking into account the plans to relocate the marathon event to Sapporo nor does it include potential costs of allowing spectators to carry their own bottles, a plan whose details are still being ironed out. It is, however, crafted in the true Olympic spirit of throwing money at problems until they go away, even if they never do.

Source: Asahi Shimbun, Hachima Kiko

Read more stories from SoraNews24.

-- Tokyo governor promotes silly Olympics umbrella hat, refuses to wear one herself

-- Tokyo Olympics might allow you to take one, and only one, drink with you into sweltering stadiums

-- Advice for Tokyo 2020 Olympics volunteers: Dress like a Japanese ninja

© SoraNews24

©2024 GPlusMedia Inc.

10 Comments
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“They should just cover everything in gold. It’d cost the same and be just as effective.”

LMAO

6 ( +6 / -0 )

How about they buy two fans place one at the north & the other at the south pole facing Japan & then turn them ON!!!

This just keeps getting worse

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Tokyo is a very warm in August. It not hot. You can live without a Aircon in Tokyo. You can easy go to the nearest Convenience store and take advantage of their Aircon on those very warm days. Tokyo always has a sea breeze in August. When the City gets warmer than the sea, the air above the sea water ( this is about the same as the water temperature of 22+c ) is drawn from the sea to land. Bigger the difference between sea temp a land temp the stronger the winds. Hot is a place called Tom Price in Western Australia. It is 500km inland and it hit 45c yesterday. and it is still spring there.. I work at Tom for 5 years back in the late 70,s and we had no aircon. Most of the work shifts are schedule for night when it start getting over 45c. So why not Schedule event at night for day events if the temp get over 45c instead of spending unnecessary money on a problem that does not exist.

-5 ( +1 / -6 )

Hey John try running a marathon in August.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

You can easy go to the nearest Convenience store and take advantage of their Aircon on those very warm days.

Ah yes, I can see it now. Athletes stopping their events in the middle of a match or race to jog across the street to enjoy the aircon at their nearest FamilyMart.

"You know, I woulda won the gold medal, but damn if that aircon wasn't calling my name. But at least I ended up with a commemorative Kitty-chan file folder!"

1 ( +1 / -0 )

I forgot most of these comment are from people who have never expierance hot weather. 35c is not hot. It is comforting warm. I have never seen continuous day over 30c in Tokyo. Tokyo has a moderate weather at 39 degree north the equator. It a small land mass where sea breeze can easy reach the interior. I can not preform at my best when temps get below 18c. I don't go asking my boss to turn up the Aircon because I am freezing. No I take into consideration other people who find the climate very nice. so I just put on more chothing.

-3 ( +1 / -4 )

I agree John, most probably Europeans who keel over when it reaches 25oC.

every year I play football in August, in the middle of the day. I train for these games, put on plenty of zinc cream & drink lots of water, & have never experienced any ill effects.

If you’re fit, prepared & take the right precautions, there should be no problem

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

According to research carried out by the Japan Ice Cream Association quoted in the Nikkei, Japanese people tend to buy most ice cream in the 20 degrees range, but will not buy ice cream once the temperatures top 30 degrees. There is a marked switchover to popsicles/ice lollies.

https://style.nikkei.com/article/DGXMZO89536020R20C15A7000000/

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Just imagine if they had heeded the words of EVERYONE that didn't have vested interests in the time being mid-July, and the place being Tokyo. They've have saved millions upon millions, and deaths that are inevitable unless more events are moved outside of Tokyo, would also have been saved. Morons.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

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