Nov 16 (Japan Times) - The organizers of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and Paralympics on Friday said they are confident next year’s swimming races won’t be cancelled like the test run in August was, thanks to measures to keep E. coli bacteria at acceptable levels.
Water-quality tests at Odaiba Marine Park during the summer revealed that triple filtering screens kept E. coli levels within agreed limits, the organizing committee announced at a news conference.
“Unless a massive typhoon were to strike leading up to the events, we are confident that there will be no problem in hosting athletic competitions at Odaiba Marine Park,†said Kaori Akiya, general manager of the venue.
On Aug. 17, the swimming leg of the International Triathlon Union’s Paratriathlon World Cup was cancelled after E. coli levels in the park the previous day had been found to be double the ITU’s limit. This prompted the organizers to change the competition into a biathlon, which was held with the regular triathlon the next day.
The Tokyo 2020 Organizing Committee also announced that progress had been made on countermeasures for the capital’s deadly heat.
