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The events will be a dress rehearsal in how to
prevent the spread of COVID-19 as organisers host an
international sports event during a global pandemic.
"At the moment we are currently gauging how many athletes would
like to participate in the test events... We will coordinate
with the government once we can confirm those numbers," senior
Tokyo 2020 official Yasuo Mori told reporters.
Test events for five competitions, including track and field and
the marathon, could involve foreign athletes participating, the
organisers said.
Asked what Tokyo 2020 would do with the test events if there
were another wave of coronavirus infections, Games Delivery
Officer Hidemasa Nakamura said they were "inextricably linked
with the domestic and local coronavirus situation."
Tokyo 2020 is planning 18 test events before the Games begin on
July 23. Test events for skateboarding and shooting were this
month postponed from April until May because of the pandemic's
impact on scheduling.
The Olympic Torch relay started last week, with bystanders asked
to stay masked, stand apart and clap instead of cheer for
torchbearers as organisers try to ease public safety concerns.
Tokyo 2020 organisers have banned international spectators from
attending the Games. The decision appeared to be received
positively by the Japanese public, with 85% in favour according
to a poll by daily Asahi Shimbun published last week.
The same poll also suggested that people were still wary of
holding the event this summer, with 36% preferring another
postponement, 33% an outright cancellation, and 27% saying the
Olympics should be held as planned.
(Reporting by Sakura Murakami, Editing by Timothy Heritage)
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