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At Rio's 'midnight' Olympics performance may suffer

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Residents play beach volleyball during at night on Copacabana beach, where the Olympic beach volleyball …

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Rio de Janeiro may have a penchant for late-night parties, but scheduling of events past midnight at next year's Olympic Games could be a real test of endurance for the world's greatest athletes.

Academics and athletes fear the late hour could hinder performance and result in fewer world records and displays of athletic mastery at Rio 2016 as competitors struggle to adjust training and sleep patterns.

The schedule, partly the result of broadcast contracts, will see some swimming finals, beach volleyball and basketball matches run into the early hours.