Tokyo 2020 triathlon to start early to beat the heat

Tokyo - Triathlon events at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics will be staged on the large man-made island of Odaiba in Tokyo Bay and will start early in the morning to counter the heat that is expected in the Japanese capital. 

Tokyo Games organisers and the International Triathlon Union on Thursday revealed plans for the individual triathlons, mixed relay and para-triathlons. 

As with the marathon, the potential for scorching summer conditions factored into the plans. The triathlons will start at 08:00 instead of 10:00 as originally planned. 

Japan is in the midst of a deadly heatwave, with temperatures topping 40 degrees Celsius. The heat has been blamed for 116 deaths. 

The 1964 Games in Tokyo were held in October to avoid the harshest of the heat. That was before the Olympics schedule was influenced by rights-paying broadcasters and sponsors.