Explainer | Tokyo Olympics: what are athletes from 205 nations shipping to the Games?
- Hundreds of containers packed weeks, or even months ago, are arriving at the ports of Tokyo and Yokohama – they must all be delivered on time to the right place
- Many containers are filled with everyday items such as bedding and equipment. Other teams, like New Zealand, have shipped over ice vests and slushie machines
There are not just athletes from 205 different nations making their way to Japan, so too are thousands of tonnes of equipment and supplies.
Hundreds of containers packed weeks, or even months ago, are arriving at the ports of Tokyo and Yokohama. More is coming by air. All of it must be unloaded and transported, unscathed, to the right place at the right time.
What is in the container?
The containers headed to Japan are full of everyday items such as mattress toppers, sheets, blankets, pillows, pillowcases and towels, for use by athletes and officials staying at the Olympic Village, a set of 21 high-rise residential buildings in the centre of Tokyo.
With temperatures expected to exceed 30 degrees C, the New Zealand team is bringing ice vests, slushie machines and misting fans – with transformers to ensure all equipment will work on the local power supply (100 V, not 110V/220V).
Most teams are bringing recovery drinks and snack packs, but each country has its own way. Britain’s team, for example, has 45,000 tea bags and 8,000 porridge pots on its list.
Then comes the high-performance sports equipment. Boats, canoes, oars, surfboards and bikes take up a lot of room. Combat sports teams bring tatamis, mats and punching bags – all pretty heavy. Balls, guns, darts, poles, rackets, gloves, skateboards, swords, guns, golf clubs – name a sport and you will find specialised equipment related to it.