Published on July 11th, 2021
Japan and China are not the best of friends, and while the international community is pressured to boycott the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics due to human rights abuses, Chinese media was following their nation’s sailing team to the Tokyo 2020 Games. Here are two updates:
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• The Chinese sailing team arrived in Tokyo on July 10, 13 days ahead of the Olympic Games. The 18-member team, including 12 athletes, is China’s first Olympic contingent to arrive in Japan. They will compete in eight of the ten events (all but the Men’s One Person Dinghy and Skiff) and is China’s second-largest presence in Olympic sailing competitions after Beijing 2008. The Chinese team, all wearing masks and eye shields, walked out of the Narita airport before taking an official coach to their hotels.
• The Chinese sailing team is staying at the same hotel with local Japanese tourists, raising concerns about possible COVID-19 infections, reports Chinese Yachting Association president Zhang Xiaodong on July 11. The Chinese yachting chief expressed her ‘deep worry’ about this situation, saying the Chinese team is negotiating with Tokyo 2020 organizers for enhanced COVID-19 precautions in this hotel. “Although the teams from different countries are arranged on separate floors, local tourists still mix with Olympic athletes in the lobby and the restaurant,” said Zhang. “It may increase potential risks of COVID-19 infections.” The residence of the sailing athletes is outside the Olympic Village as the Enoshima Yacht Harbour venue is located away from downtown Tokyo.
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Accommodations were one of the significant sticking points when the Olympics were postponed due to occupancy agreements following the original competition dates in 2020, but one would think now the elimination of spectators – international and domestic – would ease room demand.
Source: shine.cn, xinhuanet.com
Tokyo 2020 Olympic Sailing Program
Men’s One Person Dinghy – ILCA 7
Women’s One Person Dinghy – ILCA 6
Men’s Two Person Dinghy – 470
Women’s Two Person Dinghy – 470
Men’s Skiff – 49er
Women’s Skiff – 49erFx
Men’s One Person Dinghy Heavy – Finn
Men’s Windsurfing – RS:X
Women’s Windsurfing – RS:X
Mixed Multihull – Nacra 17
Original dates: July 24 to August 9, 2020
Revised dates: July 23 to August 8, 2021
Details: https://tokyo2020.org/en/games/schedule/olympic/
