The heat and humidity in Japan have become a major hurdle for athletes competing at the Tokyo Olympics, even though organizers stress they have taken sufficient steps to prevent such conditions from posing a health hazard.
With endurance events like marathons and race walking coming up in Sapporo, where the temperature recently reached 35 degrees Celsius (95 degrees Fahrenheit) for the first time since 2000, concerns have mounted over the impact of the scorching heat on athlete performance and health.
Since the Olympics started July 23, the extreme heat in the capital, with the mercury climbing as high as 34 C on some days, has already taken a toll on athletes during what may be the toughest competition of their lives.