Not really very reassuring. The International Swimming Federation (FINA) on Tuesday (April 20th) announced its decision to move the synchronised swimming qualifying event to the Tokyo Games. It was originally scheduled for May 1-6 at the Tokyo International Aquatic Center. It is moved to the month of June, to a location yet to be determined, but which will be located outside of Japan. Consequence: an “operational” test event will take place in July in Tokyo, in the home stretch before the opening of the Games. The announcement comes after FINA’s decision to also move the Olympic open water swimming event outside of Japan to the Portuguese city of Setubal. It was also originally scheduled to take place in Tokyo on June 19th and 20ht. In question, an increasingly busy schedule, due to the multiple postponements of competitions imposed by the health crisis. And, in the case of synchronised swimming, the need for the Japanese organisers to begin the Olympic configuration of the aquatic center, in May.
