Nov 27, 2020 - World

Olympics plan spring test

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IOC President Thomas Bach speaks Nov. 17 at Tokyo's New National Stadium, the main Olympics venue. Photo: Behrouz Mehri/AFP/Bloomberg via Getty Images

It seems hard to believe that 238 days from now — on July 23 — the Summer Olympics will open in Tokyo. But that's still the plan, after the games were postponed a year because of the pandemic.

Driving the news: The Tokyo organizing committee on Friday announced a series of 18 test events (some for operations), to begin in March and run into May, AP reports.

Why it matters: Games officials say a full complement of 11,000 athletes and 4,400 Paralympic athletes will be allowed into Japan, along with tens of thousands of judges, VIPs, sponsors, media and broadcasters.

At least four of the test events will involve athletes from abroad, including tests in swimming, gymnastics, diving and volleyball.

Hidemasa Nakamura, the games delivery officer, said none of the test events will allow fans from abroad, although some events will permit an unspecified number of fans from Japan.

IOC President Thomas Bach said athletes won't be required to take a vaccine. He said young Olympic athletes were not a priority ahead of millions of health care workers, the elderly and other vulnerable populations.

The games plan social distancing, masks and near-quarantine conditions in the Athletes Village.

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Olympics plan spring test

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