Sea Forest Waterway

The Sea Forest Waterway is a regatta course for rowing and canoeing in Tokyo , on which the competitions of the Summer Olympic Games and the Summer Paralympics 2020 in these sports are held.

description

In 1973, the so-called "Central Breakwater" ( Japanese中央 防波堤 , English Central Breakwater ) was created in Tokyo Bay . These are two islands created by land reclamation , for which mainly waste was dumped. The inner island ( Japanese内側 埋 立地 ) and the outer island ( Japanese外側 埋 立地 ), each related to the location of downtown Tokyo, are separated by a 200 meter wide and 3 kilometer long canal on which the regatta course is laid out has been. The total area of ​​both islands was around 373 hectares in 2011, but waste is still disposed of on the south bank of the outer island. A road leads across the island, which connects the districts Ōta via a tunnel and Kōtō via the Tokyo Gate Bridge , which was completed in 2012 . The western part of both islands is populated with industry, the eastern part largely undeveloped. The land mass was to be forested from 2007 by a project by Tadao Andō and converted into a local recreation area.

When applying for the 2020 Summer Olympics, the central breakwater played a role as a potential venue for various competitions. In addition to the Sea Forest Waterway regatta course, eventing competitions are also planned on the Sea Forest Cross-Country Course on the inner island. Mountain biking competitions were initially planned on the outer island, but were then moved to the Izu Mountain Bike Course . Relocation of the rowing and canoeing competitions to an existing stretch of the Naganuma Dam in Miyagi Prefecture was discussed until October 2016, but not implemented. Earlier international rowing competitions in Japan took place on the Nagaragawa International Regatta Course in Kaizu ( rowing world championships 2005 ) and on the regatta course Toda ( Olympic Games 1964 ).

View from Tokyo Gate Bridge over the channel of the Central Breakwater (on the right, April 2012), on which the regatta course was laid from 2016 to 2019.

The area of ​​the canal was rebuilt for the regatta course from November 2016 to June 2019. The opening took place on June 16, 2019 in the presence of FISA President Jean-Christophe Rolland . The canal is now structurally separated from Tokyo Bay by partition walls with a pump system, which means that there is no tidal range and the swell is reduced. Nevertheless, the canal is filled with salt water. A regatta center was built on the north bank at the eastern end on the inner island. The finish area of ​​the route is at the eastern end of the canal in the area of ​​the regatta center. Eight regatta lanes with a width of 12.5 meters each will be laid out on a section of canal with a length of 2335 meters. The water depth is around 6 meters. Temporary grandstands for 16,000 spectators will be built for the Summer Olympics, which will be reduced to a capacity of 2,000 spectators after the games.

After the Olympic competitions, the area will serve as a recreational area and the regatta course will continue to be used for Japanese and international competitions.

Events

• Junior World Rowing Championships 2019 (7-11 August; as a dress rehearsal for the 2020 Olympic rowing regatta)
• Olympic Summer Games 2020 :
  • Rowing competitions (July 24th-31st, 2020)
  • Competitions in canoe racing (3 to 8 August 2020)
• Summer Paralympics 2020 :
  • Rowing competitions (August 28-30, 2020)
  • Competitions in canoe racing (September 3 to 5 2020)

Web links

Commons : Central Breakwater, Tokyo  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files

• Construction progress in pictures , starting in December 2016 (on the website www.2020games.metro.tokyo.jp)

Individual evidence

1. ^ Transforming a man-made island of waste and surplus soil into an “Umi-no-Mori (Green Island)”. In: www.metro.tokyo.jp. Tokyo Metropolitan Government, July 2007, archived from the original on December 6, 2008 ; accessed on May 24, 2019 . 
2. ^ FISA Statement regarding Games planning in Tokyo. In: www.worldrowing.com. World Rowing Association, October 11, 2016, accessed on May 24, 2019 . 
3. ↑ ^{a b} Tokyo 2020 rowing venue opens in the heart of Tokyo Bay, 13 months ahead of Olympics. In: www.japantimes.co.jp. The Japan Times , June 16, 2019, accessed June 19, 2019 . 
4. ↑ Rowing and canoe venues for Tokyo 2020 inaugurated. In: www.olympic.org. International Olympic Committee , June 18, 2019, accessed June 19, 2019 . 
5. ^ Regatta Venue: Technical parameters of the regatta course. In: www.2019wrjch.jp. Retrieved May 24, 2019 . 
6. ↑ Tokyo says 2020 Olympic Rowing venue on schedule despite land issues. In: werow.co.uk. WeRow, February 8, 2018, accessed May 24, 2019 . 
7. ^ Sea Forest Waterway. In: www.2020games.metro.tokyo.jp. Bureau of Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020 Preparation, accessed May 24, 2019 . 

Coordinates: 35 ° 36 ′ 6 ″  N , 139 ° 48 ′ 28 ″  E