On Friday, September 28, members of the British Paralympic Association (BPA) visited Hiyoshi Campus and eagerly toured each facility planned to be used by Team GB and ParalympicsGB during their respective preparation camps for Tokyo 2020. The delegation included team leaders for over 10 sports, representing those such as athletics, blind football, and badminton. During this round of inspections, Clare Cunningham, gold medalist for the Women’s S9 50m freestyle swimming event at the 1992 Summer Paralympics in Barcelona, was also in attendance.
The delegation was first briefed by Keio staff members on the new Hiyoshi Commemorative Hall that is scheduled to be completed in March 2020, and afterwards, specialists from BPA asked a wide-range of questions, including the heights of ceilings, flooring materials, and light intensity. At the swimming pool and training rooms which they visited next in the Collaboration Complex, they examined various aspects of the facilities, including those relating to accessibility such as the locations of the accessible toilets, the size of the shower rooms, and whether or not there are steps. The visit concluded with a tour of the construction site of the Commemorative Hall where they also examined a scale model of the new facility.
Keio University signed an agreement with the BPA to host their preparation camp for Tokyo 2020 in December 2017, and will continue to support them to ensure that their athletes will perform at their peak during the 2020 Games.