As competitors battled for the podium on the third day of Olympic athletics on Sunday, it was Tokyo's stunning heat that perhaps dished out the most pain.
Punishing conditions greeted athletes and officials as a trackside thermometer touched 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) and the humidity hovered around 60%, with sun beating down on the fan-free National Stadium.
Sweat-soaked reporters donned wet towels as the women's 3,000-meter steeplechase qualifiers played out, the event's trademark water hazard appearing more enticing than ever.