Tokyo Olympic organizers will tackle the threat of the novel coronavirus pandemic through 18 test events for the postponed games to take place from next March through May, the organizing committee said Friday.

In principle, the events will use games venues, with overseas athletes invited for artistic swimming, diving, volleyball, gymnastics and athletics when border and accommodation controls will be tested amid the pandemic.

Photo taken from a Kyodo News helicopter on July 21, 2020, shows the National Stadium, the main venue of the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics. (Kyodo)

The artistic swimming event set for the newly built Tokyo Aquatics Centre will kick off the series on March 4-7. The venue will also host the diving event on April 18-23.

Volleyball will be staged at Ariake Arena on May 1-2, gymnastics at Ariake Gymnastics Centre and athletics at National Stadium on May 9.

"We'd like to make these meaningful events where we can gain comprehensive knowledge by, among other things, testing new coronavirus countermeasures," said Hidemasa Nakamura, the games delivery officer.

A test event for the marathon was held in Tokyo in September 2019 but another is scheduled between April and May after the course was moved to the northern city of Sapporo over summer heat concerns in the capital.


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