The sun was still high in the sky on the afternoon of July 28 at the Ariake Tennis Park in Koto Ward, Tokyo, when world No. 2 tennis player Daniil Medvedev of the Russian Olympic Committee complained to the chair umpire about the extreme heat during a men’s singles match at the Tokyo Olympics.
The temperature was 32℃ with 79% humidity. It was estimated to be over 40℃ on the court. “If I die, are you going to be responsible?” Medvedev asked the umpire.
Before the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, heat control was one of the biggest concerns ahead of the Games. The marathon and race walking events were moved to Sapporo with the intention of avoiding the high temperatures and humidity that are common in Tokyo in the summer months. But were any other measures taken to protect athletes from the heat?
Unanimous appeals from the tennis players prompted officials to move the first match of the day to 3 p.m. from 11 a.m. from July 29. The women’s soccer final was also rescheduled from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. A heat wave in Sapporo, where cooler temperatures had been expected, meant the start of the women’s marathon was abruptly moved up to 6 a.m. the day before the event.
涼しい気温が予想されていた(cooler temperatures had expected)札幌も猛暑だった。
なので、女子マラソンの開始時刻が、午前6時に急に変更された(abruptly moved)。
ニュースによれば、この変更は、前の夜に急に選手に知らされたということ。
かなり、混乱を招いたようでした。
Ironically, officials were able to change event times flexibly because they did not have to take into consideration spectators, who were banned from most venues due to coronavirus measures.
コロナウイルス対策のため、会場から追放された観客を考慮する必要がなかった(did not have to take into consideration)、と書かれています。
そして、時間を柔軟に変更する(change event times flexibly) ことができた。
このことは、けがの功名というか、時間や会場変更がうまくいった要因でした。
The last-minute change of the marathon start time meant athletes were able to escape some of the heat but it also might have disrupted their pre-race preparation.
でも、直前の変更だったので、レース前の準備を混乱させたかもしれない(might have disrupted)。
明日の朝のレースなのに、前日の夜に言われると混乱しますよね。
そのあたりは、もう少し配慮があってもよかったかもしれません。
“We need to seriously consider whether we could’ve made the decision [to change the time] a little earlier,” said Hidemasa Nakamura, chief of the main operation center of the Tokyo 2020 organizing committee. Was it appropriate to hold the Games at this time of the year in the first place?
一方で、そもそも、この夏の暑い時期に大会を開催するのが適切だったか(was it appropriate)？という疑問もあります。
本来であれば、もう少し涼しい時期に開催できることが望ましい。
これについては、だれもが思うところです。
“If it was at any other time of the year, it would coincide with popular sports competitions in the United States, and broadcasting rights fees wouldn’t sell at a high price. I don’t think the International Olympic Committee would have been able to change the timing,” said a senior official of the Tokyo metropolitan government who was involved in the Olympics.
でも、1年の他の時期にオリンピックを開催すると、アメリカの人気スポーツと時期が一致してしまう(coincide with popular sports competitions in the United States)。
すると、放映権が高く売れない(wouldn’t sell at a high price)。
だから、国際オリンピック委員会はタイミングを変える(change the timing)ことができないと思う。
このように、東京都の高官は語った。
前回の東京オリンピックは、10月にやっていたんですものね。
10月10日が体育の日というのは、前回の東京オリンピックの開会式の日の名残りです。
“Not holding the Olympics in Japan in July or August would’ve been the right thing to do,” organizing committee director general Toshiro Muto said on Monday, a day after the Olympic closing ceremony.
オリンピックの閉会の翌日(a day after the Olympic closing ceremony)にコメントしている。
終わってから言われてもねぇ。
毎年同じような気温なんだから、そもそもわかっていた話です。
The mental health of the athletes was also a focus of attention. Before the Olympics, tennis player Naomi Osaka said she had suffered long bouts of depression.
Simone Biles, the ace of the U.S. women’s gymnastics team, withdrew from part of the competition, citing mental health concerns. Social media abuse directed at athletes has also become more serious. The Tokyo Olympics raised various issues concerning ways to better protect athletes.
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