Olympics-Diving, artistic swimming qualifiers to go ahead in Japan: Kyodo
09/04/2021 03:25
TOKYO, April 9 (Reuters) - Diving and artistic swimming
qualifiers for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics will go ahead in Japan,
Kyodo news reported on Friday, just days after both test events
looked to have been cancelled by the sport's world governing
body (FINA).
FINA had said last week it was reviewing the status of both
events, as well as a marathon swimming qualifier, without
specifying a reason, before marking the events as "cancelled" on
its website calendar.
The BBC had reported FINA was concerned organisers of the
Diving World Cup had not done enough to protect athletes from
COVID-19. TASS quoted the head coach of the Russian diving team
as saying the event had been cancelled. urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL1N2LV0L1
However, Kyodo, citing multiple unnamed sources, said on
Friday that the diving event, which was scheduled to begin on
April 18, would go ahead in Japan and that arrangements were
being made to hold it in May.
The artistic swimming qualification tournament, set for May
1-4, would also go ahead in Japan. It did not mention whether it
would be rescheduled.
Portugal, however, has been floated as a possible location
for the Olympic marathon swim qualifier that was to take place
in the southern Japanese city of Fukuoka in late May.
Kyodo said the relevant parties had agreed in talks on
Thursday not to cancel the events, which have been changed to
"TBC" (to be confirmed) on the FINA calendar from "cancelled".
A Tokyo organising committee spokesman said FINA and other
relevant parties were in talks and that any announcement would
come from the swimming body.
Tokyo 2020 had no further comment.
Yasuo Mori, a senior Tokyo 2020 official, said on Sunday
Games organisers were aware FINA "intend to cancel" the events
and that they would hold talks with the swimming federation this
week.
The Tokyo Games, which were postponed by a year due to the
pandemic, are set to run from July 23 to Aug. 8.
(Reporting by Chris Gallagher; Editing by Peter Rutherford
)
((chris.gallagher@thomsonreuters.com;))