FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Athletics timetable for postponed Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games released
For the first time in Olympic history, the women's and men's marathon
victory ceremonies will both be held during the Closing Ceremony at the
postponed Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, the updated athletics timetable
reveals.
Inclusion of the marathon medal presentations in the Closing Ceremony will
cap the 10-day athletics programme unveiled today, which follows the
timetable previously announced for the 32nd Summer Olympic Games prior to
their postponement in March.
The programme commences on Friday 30 July, 2021 with the opening round of
the men's 3000m steeplechase and concludes on the final day of the Games,
Sunday 8 August, with the men's marathon in Sapporo, capital of the
mountainous northern Japanese island of Hokkaido. In between, competition
will be spread over 16 sessions at Tokyo's Olympic Stadium.
Athletics figures prominently in both of the Games' 'Super Saturdays', with
three finals - the men's discus throw, women's 100m and the inaugural mixed
4x400m relay - scheduled for 31 August. Another seven athletics titles will
be decided on Saturday 7 August, among 34 event finals scheduled for that
day, the highest single day number during the Games. 'Golden Sunday' on 31
July, will include 25 medal events in all, capped by the men's 100m final.
As announced in October, Sapporo will host the marathons and race walks as
part of a wide range of measures taken by Tokyo 2020 organisers in
consultation with the IOC and international federations to mitigate the
effects of the high temperatures which may occur in Tokyo.
Download the timetable.
As announced in June, the Tokyo 2020 qualification system already in force
was adapted to fit the new dates of the Games.
The qualification principles remain unchanged with athletes able to qualify
through entry standards and then the World Athletics World Rankings.
Athletes who have already met the entry standard since the start of the
qualification period in 2019 remain qualified and will be eligible for
selection by their respective Member Federations and National Olympic
Committees, together with the other athletes who will qualify within the
extended qualification period.
Due to the uneven training and competition opportunities around the world
during the coronavirus pandemic, World Athletics announced on 7 April that
the qualification period (for all events) was suspended from 6 April to 30
November 2020.
Download the Olympic qualifying system: English | French
On 25 June, World Athletics launched 'Road to Tokyo', an online tool to
help athletes, media and fans track the qualification process for next
year's Olympic Games.
Searchable by discipline, country and qualification status, the tool will
provide a real time view of each event over the course of the Tokyo 2020
qualification period which ends on 29 June 2021.
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