The final artistic swimming qualifier for the Tokyo Olympics has been postponed from March to May due to concerns related to the coronavirus pandemic, the International Swimming Federation said Thursday.
The event was scheduled to take place from March 4 to March 7 at Tokyo Aquatics Center, and was set to be the first Olympic test event with COVID-19 countermeasures in place. FINA said the tournament will now be moved to May 1-4.
World swimming's governing body said the decision was made to ensure fair conditions for participating athletes, which would be difficult with the current travel restrictions in Japan.
Tokyo and 10 other prefectures are under a state of emergency which is in effect until Feb. 7 but expected to be extended.
A test event featuring wheelchair rugby is scheduled for April 3-4 at Tokyo's Yoyogi National Gymnasium.
