There’s less than a year remaining before the Japan 2020 Summer Olympics and people are already starting to purchase flight tickets, book hotels and buy merchandise to support their athletes.
However, many don’t understand that the merchandise, in this case, is going to be completely non-essential. What they need to be stocking up on is sun-screen, a bunch of water and some kind of products that can give them shade.
Why? Because Japan’s summers are notorious for inducing heatstrokes to those that expose themselves to the sun too much. Hundreds of people have died in 2018 as well as 2019 combined due to hazardous heat conditions in the country.
Japan being an island also adds a lot of humidity to its climate, therefore giving people much less breathing space in an already boiling clumped city.
What are the warnings?
Several leading doctors in Japan (which is already quite the title), have warned that extensive exposure to the heat without precautions are going to get a lot of people in the hospital, especially those who come from countries where such a climate is just unheard of.
The doctors have named people from places like Norway, Sweden, and Finland to take the brunt of the heat, as the population, there is used to a maximum of 30 degrees Celcius (86 Fahrenheit) rather than the 40-42 degrees (104-107 Fahrenheit) that plague Japan.
However, the good news is that these people have already been warned by their local news outlets as well as professional medical practitioners. Recommended attire is something very light, but still covers most of the skin, and gallons of cold water to remain hydrated.
The expected heat is so bad that some of the most reliable Norwegian bookmakers have lowered the odds of their athletes winning in such conditions. Such things don’t happen on a whim though, the athletes will be the ones exposed to the elements on a much higher level than the audience.
How will athletes be protected?
When it comes to athletes, several coaches claim that they’ve already taken measures to ensure their health. Things such as soaked cold towels, larger rations of cold water, strong sun-block creams that don’t interfere with performance and something to cover the head.
But the fact remains the same. Athletes will have to expose themselves to the sun one way or another. It’s not like the Summer Olympics can be done in a closed-off area with air conditioning. Well, at least not all of the sports.
Regardless though, everybody involved in the Japan 2020 Olympics, be they spectators, athletes, coaches, organizers or etc, need to be prepared for the weather. Otherwise, there can be serious hazardous side effects.
The organizers have also announced they’re doing everything to ensure people’s safety, by going so far as trying artificial snow.
Unfortunately, the artificial snow is not effective as it melts everything and soaks the recipient. Hopefully, something more effective will be developed before the games commence.
