ADDIS ABABA – The 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics is set to start in less than 11 months from today, July 24, 2020. That is we have only 332 days as of today. With only 11 months to go it is necessary to raise issues related to the Ethiopian Olympic contingent.
One thing is clear towards Tokyo: Ethiopia has nostalgia to the Tokyo Olympics. The Ethiopian marathon legend Abebe Bikila collected his second Olympic gold medal in 1964 in Tokyo. That was his second win in a row. The first was collected in Rome in 1960.
Considering this the expectation in Tokyo both by the people of Ethiopia and Japan is high. The Japanese people want to witness a man like Abebe Bikila who has remained the inspiration for their young athletes for the second time after 56 years.
It will be historical for Ethiopian if a remarkable result is achieved in such a long span of time for the second time in Tokyo.
Right after the win of Abebe Bikila in Tokyo, the Japanese athletes have begun to train marathon with a locomotive speed that was precisely arranged by the speed of Abebe Bikila. At the start people were laughing at the method of training but at the end the Japanese marathoners proved that they are world class contenders. Work works, was their conclusion from that big project. This is public knowledge in the Japanese marathon history.
If the past is a guide it may be difficult to repeat that feat at this time. Look at the 2016 Rio Olympic Ethiopian performance in Marathon. The Ethiopian position was miserably poor. The country had one gold medal through Almaz Ayana in 10,000m.
The country’s marathoner Lelisa Feyisa managed to settle second. Despite his political gesture at the finishing line by criss-crossing his hands Lelisa’s performance was worthy of praise. Taking politics in Olympics is punishable but he luckily escaped a possible penalty.
But, in whatever form it is seen the performance of the Rio Olympics was far below expectations.
Of course, in recent competition in the international arena young athletes are emerging. This is indeed encouraging. Big names such as Kenenisa Bekele, Tirunesh Dibaba, Meseret Defar are not recovering to win big international meets using their might of experience. This is discouraging.
The other problem, according to climate forecasters, Tokyo at the time of the Olympics shall be a burning spot. This is related with climate change. The climate may be equal for all but it will remain a big hurdle for the Ethiopian highlanders.
According to the climate forecasters, there is record broken heat wave this time in Tokyo as concern grows over the 2020 Olympics. The temperature is now touching close to 40 to 45 c. The report indicates that this is just like ‘living in the Sauna’.
The rise of temperature to 40-45 c (over 100 Fahrenheit) in Tokyo this time means the heat wave fuels fears about the potentially dangerous conditions for athletes and spectators at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
Will the same temperature anticipated in 2020 this time? The Japan Metrological Agency predict that way. If that is the case, the sweltering weather is likely to bring the risk of heatstroke.
Considering this, the international Olympic Committee has a plan to have an early start for marathon like 7 am. The change of venue is also in consideration for marathon.
The 2020 Olympics will run from 24 July until 9 August 2020. When Tokyo hosted the 1964 Olympics it took place during the cooler month of October.
This is something that needs acclimatization. It will definitely difficult to bear over 100 Fahrenheit without acclimatization. This is a scorching sun like going to the desert Ethiopian areas in Afar region.
Do our athletes manage to run under this circumstance? Well, one may argue that temperature is not selective but it is equal for all. But surely going from highland it is difficult to adjust in that ‘burning in the furnace’ situation.
After the July 2019 test events, the organizers were expected to say something substantial in connection to the heat wave. So far there is nothing of that sort. Some source say that they are planning to have heat counter measures such as installation of cooling mist showers for the athletes but new announcements are expected soon, very soon.
Well, as it was reported recently, temperature monitors are installed at each venue, with the capacity to issue warnings to spectators if condition becomes particularly unbearable. But this doesn’t mean that human beings are capable of controlling temperature. Mother Nature follows its own rule.
For whatever reasoning, it is good to start early preparation but nothing is on the move from the Ethiopian side.
The Ethiopian Herald August 27, 2019
