Sweden and Canada request Olympic women’s football final to be MOVED on Friday in order to avoid 40C temperatures in the day… with both teams pushing for an evening kick-off
Sweden and Canada have asked Olympic organisers to move what is expected to be a hotly-contested women’s gold medal football match on Friday to later in the day to avoid the sweltering heat of the Japanese summer.
Trackside temperatures at the athletics stadium hit 40C earlier this week, and with the women’s gold medal game due to take place at 11:00am local time – 2:00am BST – both sides have expressed concerns for player welfare at the Tokyo Olympic Stadium.
‘I myself have been in contact with FIFA today and written to them, so that’s about where the situation is today,’ Marika Domanski-Lyfors, the head coach of the Swedish team, said.
Sweden and Canada have asked Olympic organisers to move the women’s football final
Sweden head coach Marika Domanski-Lyfors is looking for the gold medal game to be held in the evning
‘It is primarily about the players’ health we’re thinking about and trying to change the time of the game.
‘There’s a pretty big difference between playing in the afternoon or evening, and we are very much exposed to the warmth and heat.
The Swedish Football Association said it had also written to IOC together with Canada to see if the game could be moved.
‘If we have to play at 11 o’clock in the morning then we are prepared, but it would clearly be much better to for the performance and the game to have the possibility to play it later,’ Domanski-Lyfors added.
‘Canada have exactly the same opinion.’
Sweden beat Australia in their semi-final whilst Canada stunned world champions USA to reach the Olympic final on Friday.