The heat wave rolling over Tokyo is a godsend for Olympics bashers like former newscaster Hiroshi Kume. On his last week, he said that five years from now when the games are held here, they will ¡°violate the Olympic charter,¡± which requires an environment where all athletes can demonstrate their abilities to the fullest.
The last time Tokyo was the host, the games were held in October, when it¡¯s cooler, but American broadcasters, who call the shots, would never approve such a move nowadays because then the Olympics would overlap with the World Series as well as the American football and basketball seasons. Actually, Tokyo¡¯s heat is , but many athletes fainted at the Beijing Opening Ceremony and a substantial portion of the field for the women¡¯s marathon in Athens dropped out during the race.
Olympics Minister Toshiaki Endo is reportedly working on , such as pavement that reflects infrared rays, mist curtains for long-distance running sports and scheduling that slots outdoor events in the early morning or after dusk.
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