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Reuters

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Reuters

The extreme heat at the Tokyo Olympics 2020 has been a hurdle for many athletes from around the world. While athletes put in their 100% percent to win, sometimes things are out of their control.

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Britain’s Jessica Judd also faced extreme heat in the 10,000m race finals and collapsed on the ground. The Olympic finals were being held in 90F heat with 80% humidity. Despite that, Jessica finished the race; however, as soon as she completed, she fell to the ground.

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The British athletes begged for a water bottle for minutes after the fall

In the mega-quadrennial events, officials are expected to be quick in giving support or first aid to athletes. However, Jessica Judd had to beg the medical officials for water.

Later, her teammate Eilish McColgan finally brought her the bottle for hydration and the medical staff took Jessica off the track in a wheelchair.

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Because of scorching heat, four runners couldn’t even complete the race. Jessica also expressed that this was the closest she had ever come to not finishing the race. Judd completed her race at the 17th position with a time of 31 minutes and 56 seconds.

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10ooo m race winner also begged for water after finishing

The day looked tough for all the athletes competing, as the gold medal winner was also desperate for hydration. After her win, the 28-year-old, Sifan Hassan, did not celebrate. Instead, she begged for water.

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Netherland’s Hassan clinched her third medal at Tokyo Olympics 2020 after securing gold in the 10,000m race. Sifan concluded her race in 29 minutes and 55 seconds. Bahrain’s Gezahegne clinched silver and Ethiopia’s Gidey won the bronze medal.

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The brutal heat conditions affected many athletes at Tokyo Olympics 2020

Earlier host country’s athlete, Masatora Kawano, also became a victim of the scorching heat. Even though the 50km race started at 5:30 am, the weather was not conducive to competing in an endurance race.

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Also read: Tokyo Olympics 2020 Bans German Coach for Punching the Horse

Tennis players also suffered problems because of the heat. Spain’s Paula Badosa had to leave the court in a wheelchair after a bad heatstroke. Players even complained about the brutal conditions. Thus, the Tokyo Olympics 2020 weather has been tough for athletes who hail from different parts of the world.

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A lot of events have been affected by the weather, and despite the events being in the early morning or late evening, players have faced problems.

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Shreya Verma

609 Articles

Shreya Verma is a US Sports Content Strategist at EssentiallySports, with a focus on Olympic sports and athlete storytelling, covering beats like tennis, gymnastics, basketball, track and field, wrestling, and more. A qualified National Level air pistol shooter, she brings the unique perspective of both an athlete and a journalist to her work. Over the past four years at EssentiallySports, she has covered some of the biggest sporting stages, from managing the Olympic Sports desk during the Winter Olympics 2022 to spearheading the US Open 2025 coverage and content strategy. In 2024, she was on the ground in Paris for the Summer Olympics, where she interviewed legends and rising stars, including Carl Lewis, Laurie Hernandez, Fred Kerley, Noah Lyles, Quincy Hall, and Grant Holloway, who memorably offered her the chance to try on his gold medal. She also connected with icons and fan favorites such as Tom Brady, Katie Ledecky, Tara Davis & Hunter Woodhall, Andy Murray, Ilona Maher, Kevon Williams, Jonathan Owens, and Neeraj Chopra, while capturing emotional family perspectives from Nellie Biles, Jordan Chiles’ mother, Suni Lee’s mother, and Katie Ledecky’s brother, Michael. Her journalism is marked by authenticity, access, and a deep passion for highlighting perseverance and human connection in sports. Inspired by Olympic champions like Allyson Felix and Vincent Hancock, Shreya continues to carve her path as a storyteller.

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