Tokyo 2020 sport climbing test event to go ahead without athletes

By our reporter On Mar 5, 2020 0

Officials will climb walls themselves at a scaled-back sport climbing test event for the Olympic Games, which begins tomorrow.

No athletes or fans will attend the event over the next two days as a result of the coronavirus outbreak.

Staff climbing the walls will allow organisers to still “test operational readiness”, it is claimed.

Those taking part will still be experienced climbers, including people who work for national federations.

Sport climbing is due to make its Olympic debut at Tokyo 2020.

The climbing walls and panels for the event have now been installed at the Aomi Urban Sports Park venue.

Other test events to have been scaled back in a similar manner because of coronavirus include rugby sevens, wheelchair rugby and boccia.

In these sports Tokyo 2020 also pledged to go ahead anyway without athletes, instead of cancelling the events entirely.

This includes the IFSC Plenary Congress in Turkey and three climbing competitions in Asia.

More than 3,300 people have died and more than 80 countries and territories are affected, but the overwhelming majority of cases are in China.

Japan has recorded more than 350 cases and six people have died.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) have reiterated their commitment to holding Tokyo 2020 as planned.

IOC President Thomas Bach said the organisation remains “very confident” of a successful Olympics in the Japanese capital.

The Games are due to take place between July 24 and August 9.