US gymnast Eaker tests positive for coronavirus
A Czech beach volleyball player became the fourth case and the third infected athlete in the Village, where thousands of competitors are living in a bio-secure “bubble”
Tokyo’s Olympic Village was hit by a fourth coronavirus case on Monday and major sponsor Toyota said it would not run any Games-related TV ads as the event struggled for support just days before the opening ceremony.
A Czech beach volleyball player became the fourth case and the third infected athlete in the Village, where thousands of competitors are living in a bio-secure “bubble”.
Czech beach volleyball player Ondřej Perušič could miss his opening game on Monday ater a PCR test confirmed his infection. Perušič and his playing partner are due to the begin their Olympic programme against a team from Latvia.
Czech team leader Martin Doktor said in a statement they would ask to postpone the game until the infected player is cleared to play.
Perušič, who said he has been vaccinated, is the second member of the Czech delegation to test positive in Tokyo ater a team official’s case was reported Saturday.
Elsewhere, a teenage female gymnast became the first American athlete to test positive at the Games, with a teammate also isolating as a result.
Kara Eaker, an alternate on the United States women’s gymnastics team, has tested positive for COVID-19 in an Olympic training camp in Japan.
Al Fong, the personal coach for both Eaker and fellow Olympic alternate Leanne Wong, confirmed the positive test in an email on Monday. Wong said Eaker, 18, was vaccinated against the novel coronavirus two months ago. Both Eaker and Wong have been placed in isolation.
USA Gymnastics did not identify Eaker or Wong but said in a statement that the athlete who tested positive and another alternate would be subject to additional quarantine restrictions.
“Accordingly, on Monday, the Olympic athletes moved to separate lodging accommodations and a separate training facility, as originally planned, and will continue their preparation for the Games,” the organization said in a statement. “The entire delegation continues to be vigilant and will maintain strict protocols while they are in Tokyo.”
The positive test was the latest in a growing line of daily reports of athletes and others testing positive at the pandemic-delayed Olympics. Eaker is the first American to test positive.
“The health and safety of our athletes, coaches and staff is our top priority. We can confirm that an alternate on the women’s artistic gymnastics team tested positive for COVID-19,” the United States Olympic and Paralympic Commitee said in a statement.
“In alignment with local rules and protocols, the athlete has been transferred to a hotel to quarantine. Out of respect for the individual’s privacy, we cannot provide more information at this time.”
The four alternates - Eaker, Wong, Kayla DiCello and Emma Malabuyo - traveled to Japan with the six-woman US delegation of world and Olympic champion Simone Biles, Jordan Chiles, Grace Mccallum, Sunisa Lee, Mykayla Skinner and Jade Carey.
The positive test came ater Eaker received what was described as a “false positive” over the weekend. Eaker took a subsequent test that was negative before testing positive again multiple times.
Biles, who is also the world champion, and the rest of the regular team have been vaccinated. Skinner, who made the team in the “plus-one spot” - meaning she can compete as an individual in Tokyo - following Olympic Trials did batle both COVID-19 and pneumonia last winter.
The delayed 2020 Games will officially get under way on Friday in a near-empty Olympic Stadium, with Tokyo under a coronavirus state of emergency ater a spike in cases.
The latest Asahi Shimbun newspaper poll found a majority of respondents, 55 per cent, were against holding the Games this summer, with 33 per cent in favour.
And a composer for the opening ceremony stepped down ater admiting bullying disabled schoolmates, comments that caused an outcry in Japan.
It has not been a smooth final build-up for the Games, which were postponed last year, but officials will hope the tide of public opinion turns when the sports programme starts.