Japan’s ‘Lube Olympics’ aims to rival Tokyo’s 2020 games – and is ‘good, clean fun’

As a row over Tokyo’s Olympic stadium threatens to overshadow the city’s Games preparations, the ‘Lube Olympics’ is looking to offer a slippery alternative for daredevil athletes in 2020.

Now in its third year, the oddball event sees contestants in crash helmets and lathered in lubricated jelly on a slimy floor battle it out in sports such as sumo, tug of war and human curling – with largely chaotic results.

“In Spain you have the tomato fighting and in Thailand there’s the water throwing festival: we wanted to come up with something unique,” Lotion Sports Association commissioner Iku Koshikizawa said.

“We took the typical Japanese sports festival, threw in some medical gel and bingo!”

He added: “The aim is to hold the Slimy Olympics at the same time as the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and invite the world. Everyone covered in jelly and sliding about – it’s a fantastic way to make new friends.”