Thomas Barr wants assurances given to the Tokyo locals that the Olympics won't drain medical resources during the Covid pandemic.
Barr, who finished fourth in the 400m hurdles in the Rio Games, will travel to Japan with high hopes of making another big impact on the track.
Currently in Gothenburg for the Friidrott Grand Prix, the Waterford athlete is fully aware of the feelings of the majority of Tokyo people polled on whether the Olympics should go ahead.
Despite assurances given by the IOC and the Japanese Government, many locals remain unhappy that 70,000 athletes, officials and administrators are flying in during July and August with the country still taking emergency measures to deal with the pandemic.
"I do feel it would be imposing," said Barr. "Obviously Japan are trying to look after their own population and they don't want to see resources pulled from their own hospitals to try and facilitate a load of foreigners, essentially, coming into the country.
"So I can completely understand their concerns - and I do feel we would be somewhat imposing. There has been a huge outcry to say that the locals don't want the Olympics to go ahead because of those risks.
"But I hope the local organising committee are able to put that at bay and have all those athletes, staff, everyone, literally come into the Olympic Village and pretty much not leave it.
"Not take resources, and the local organising committee to supply our own medical resources and everything so we're not drawing on them.
"I hope an agreement can be made there because it wouldn't be a particularly nice thing to be going in to almost steal things from the locals as such."
Before returning home in a fortnight's time, Barr will also compete in Turku in Finland and again in Sweden.
The 28-year-old is eager to jump on the PB train after watching so many of his Team Ireland colleagues set new best times and break national records.
Barr has been waiting since that Rio run to set a new PB.
"I’m just edging in there trying to get towards that now and to put Rio behind me and move forward again," he said.
Thomas Barr was speaking as ambassador for the Irish Life Health Family Mile Challenge. Parents are encouraged to go the extra mile and be positive role models for their kids by signing up free of charge at irishlifehealth.ie to run the challenge on 26th/27th June.
