Fans, athletes, volunteers will be up early at Tokyo Olympics

From left, Men’s Judo Japan national team head coach Kosei Inoue, Women’s Softball Japan national team head coach Reika Utsugi and Tokyo 2020 Sports Director Koji Murofushi pose for a photo after a press conference to unveil detailed Olympic competition schedule in Tokyo, Tuesday, April 16, 2019. For fans, athletes, and volunteers in Japan, next year’s Olympics in Tokyo could become known as the get-up-early games.Organizers announced Tuesday that – hoping to beat summer heat in the Japanese capital – the men’s 50-meter race walk final will begin at 5:30 a.m. The men’s and women’s marathon final will start at 6 a.m. (AP Photo/Koji Sasahara)

TOKYO — For fans, athletes and volunteers, next year’s Tokyo Olympics could become known as the get-up-early games.

Organizers — hoping to beat the summer heat in the Japanese capital — say the men’s 50-meter race walk final will begin at 5:30 a.m. The men’s and women’s marathon finals will start at 6 a.m.

As previously announced, the swimming finals will begin at 10:30 a.m. The swim schedule has nothing to do with the heat. It allows North American television to telecast the finals live in prime time. American network NBC pays billions for Olympic TV rights.

Organizers say the first gold medal event will be the women’s 10-meter air rifle, which will take place on July 25 — the day after the opening ceremony.