By Tuesday, gusts of up to 90 kilometers per hour could disrupt the Tokyo Olympics.
A typhoon is indeed expected on the Japanese coast.
The organizers of the rowing events, scheduled to run until July 30, have already changed their programming. They postponed competitions scheduled for Monday to reintegrate them into the weekend program, in anticipation of "strong winds and gusts". The International Sailing Federation (World Sailing), which has for the moment maintained all its regattas which are to start from Sunday, has warned that "the events from July 26 to 28 could be affected" by this typhoon, classified Friday evening in level 8. “The typhoon, we know it's something that can happen. It will bring swell, it can be sport, ”commented French windsurfer Charline Picon, who will compete on Sunday.
Typhoon Nepartak was still some 1,800 kilometers south of Tokyo on Saturday, according to the Japanese Meteorological Agency.
But he is on track to arrive in the host city by Tuesday.
“Unlike an earthquake, we are able to predict the trajectory of a typhoon, which allows us to prepare in advance,” said Masa Takaya, spokesperson for the organizing committee, adding that the Games Olympics "will take responsible action."
“There's a swell on the way!
"
Despite these legitimate fears, there are those for whom this typhoon is on the contrary expected as a blessing. Surfers have been praying for months for the wind to pick up around Tsurigasaki Surf Beach, located about 100 km southeast of the Tokyo Olympic Stadium. Many feared that they would have to compete on tiny waves for the first surfing competition in Olympic history.
"There are going to be good waves, there is a strong typhoon here off the coast of Japan and we know the waves are getting bigger and bigger," International Surfing Association president Fernando Aguerre told Reuters. , during a telephone interview. “It's small but there is swell on the way! Let's go, ”Australian surfer Owen Wright wrote on Instagram after his first training session at Tsurigasaki Surf Beach, where competitions start on Sunday and can last until next Sunday depending on weather conditions.
The typhoon season in Japan runs from around May to October, with a peak in August and September. In the past, these violent storms have already disrupted the organization of sport in the country, as in 2019 when Typhoon Hagibis hit while Japan hosted the Rugby World Cup. He had killed more than 100 people and forced the organizers of the World Cup to cancel three group matches.
