Tokyo Olympic Games qualifying events in diving and artistic swimming look likely to go ahead in Japan next month after being threatened with cancellation because of the coronavirus pandemic, sources with knowledge of the matter said Thursday.
A marathon swimming qualifier slated for late next month in Fukuoka will be relocated to Setubal in Portugal, however, according to the sources.
The May 1 to 4 artistic swimming qualifier at the Tokyo Aquatics Centre will reportedly go ahead as planned, while the April 18 to 23 diving World Cup, which serves as a test event for the games, will be rescheduled to sometime in May at the same Olympic venue.
Swimming’s world governing body FINA had reportedly told Japanese organizers it was unhappy about coronavirus countermeasures for the events, including its share of the cost.
The local organizers are believed to have made new concessions on cost-sharing, as well as on a three-day quarantine period for officials entering Japan.
FINA had already rescheduled the artistic swimming qualifier, the first Olympic test event with COVID-19 countermeasures in place, from March 4 to 7.
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