TOKYO: The first Tokyo Olympics test event of 2021 has been postponed because of travel restrictions under Japan’s coronavirus state of emergency, organizers confirmed on Thursday.
The artistic swimming event will double as the sport’s closing qualifier for the virus-postponed Games. It was because of being held on Mar 4 to 7 in Tokyo however will now take place two months later.
Tokyo 2020 organizers stated a decision to delay it had been taken for reasons including “guaranteeing the fairest possible circumstances for athletes to participate” and ongoing entry restrictions in Japan.
The qualifier has now been rescheduled for May 1 to 4 at the Tokyo Aquatics Centre.
Tokyo 2020 said different qualifying events in Japan, including the Diving World Cup in April and marathon swimming in May, would go forward as planned.
Japan’s borders are at the moment closed to nearly all foreigners, with Tokyo and different parts of the nation under a state of emergency till at the least Feb 7.
Athletes coming to Japan to prepare for the coronavirus-postponed 2020 Games had been exempt from the entry ban, however, the government revoked the privilege earlier this month.
The artistic swimming event was to have been the first test event to be held with anti-virus measures in place.
In December, Tokyo 2020 chiefs unveiled a 53-page anti-virus rulebook that they say will allow the Games to be held safely and not using a vaccine, even if the pandemic is not but under control.
However public assist for holding the Games this yr is low, with 80 percent of Japanese polled backing a further delay or outright cancellation.
