We reported last month how Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games organizers are testing new measures to keep people in a cool environment as fears grow regarding heat threat. 57 people have died resulting from heat-related illnesses between July 29th and August 4th. Among the deadly victims is an Olympics construction worker.
The original list of measures being tested included a specially designed main stadium that is supposed to channel cooler air across spectators and onto the track, water mist towers, ice packs, or shaded areas to provide relief to spectators lining up outside venues.
But now organizers are toying with the idea of deploying artificial snow-making machines to sprinkle spectators in the hopes of counteracting high humidity and expected scorching temperatures during next year’s Olympic and Paralympic Games.
A snow-making machine will be tried out at a test canoeing event on Sep 13 in Tokyo, a spokesman for the games’ organizing committee said. (CNA) “We plan to produce two tons of snow in the test,” the spokesman added.
The Organizing Committee will provide information regarding weather conditions and safety precautions through the Games’ official app. Organizers are also considering allowing spectators to bring their own drinks into the different event venues, which had been forbidden at prior Games.
SwimSwam’s Tomas Rodriguez contributed to this report.
With costs getting astronomical each Olympiad, seems like they should take the age group champs solution: pick one (or two) kick-ass locations specific for the task and let countries take turns “hosting.”.
I think these are from Fukushima, where they failed to stop radioactive leaks into the ocean. 1964 Tokyo games were in October but….. Let’s try snow machines!!
Probably too late to reschedule for October…
I’m sure their scientists have thought this out but, don’t they need cold air temperatures to make snow? That’s why ski resorts operate them at night in the winter. Seems like an expensive idea.
Energy intensive indeed.
Uh. Snow machines only work when its 32 degrees F with low humidity. Not rocket science.
You can use them above freezing… it’s seems futile at the temperatures we will see during the games. They store snow over the summer in Canmore under sawdust and then spread it on trails for early season XC skiing, they supplement that snow with snow machines. Look up ” frozen thunder canmore Nordic Centre “
Every skier in the world sees the problem with this plan immediately. They are just industrial-sized mist-blowing fans when it is warm. You can run them in the heat, but you can’t make “snow” unless it is below freezing. (The “snow” they make isn’t snow. It is tiny droplets of ice, i.e. frozen mist. Which is why it doesn’t ride quite like real snow and isn’t sought out when real snow is available.) This will cool people off by soaking them.