Heat and storms could impact final days of Olympics

With just three days to go before the end of an Olympic games like no other, Tokyo's erratic summer weather is turning out to be another bitter opponent for the competing athletes.

Tokyo hit a sizzling 93.2°F on Friday (August 6) with the sweltering heat dishing out pain for athletes in outdoor events.

The women's marathon will now start at 6 a.m. in Sapporo on Saturday, one hour earlier than initially planned, a Tokyo 2020 official said on Friday.

There is no change at this stage to the men's start time of 7 a.m. on Sunday.

The IOC decided in 2019 to move the marathon to the northern city of Sapporo to escape the worst of Tokyo's summer heat.

But stormy skies could be around the corner.

A tropical storm is forecast to possibly bring wind and rain for the closing ceremony on Sunday night.

Tokyo 2020 spokesperson Masa Takaya said organizers are prepared for the unexpected.

"At this point in time we just watch the situation closely, and that is the only answer that I can give regarding the typhoon. Of course the organizers are making preparations for the unexpected, but it is not really appropriate for me to give more details at the moment, because it just creates speculation. The only thing that I can say is that we are closely watching the situation."

The closing ceremony is scheduled for 8pm local time on Sunday.