Doubts and concerns are at an all-time high surrounding the COVID-19 countermeasures released by the delayed Tokyo Olympics organizers. These new countermeasures do not include mandatory vaccinations or quarantines for participants arriving in Japan for the games.
A negative test result is necessary before arrival in Japan and testing every four days with minimal movement. These countermeasures do not express what would happen if athletes or staff members test positive.
As people from all over the globe make their way to Tokyo, citizens remain apprehensive. Japan declared a state of emergency just last month to reduce infections and clear a path for the Olympics.
Professor Norio Sugaya, a member of a World Health Organization panel, advising on the pandemic, said:
A fourteen-day quarantine period is needed to be certain that you haven’t developed an infection that you could spread to others. There is a risk that the infections will spread within the Olympic Village, and they may spread to the country as well.
Organizers will update the plan in April while monitoring the latest technology and future developments. All Olympic athletes and teams must submit a negative test result before leaving Japan, and they may be tested upon arrival.
American swimmer Katie Ledecky and gymnast Simone Biles and several other athletes are set to break records. New events like skateboarding, sport climbing, karate, and surfing have been added to attract a younger audience.
These athletes are training at home following the COVID-19 protocols in anticipation of the Olympics in Tokyo. A couple of athletes to look out for.
Sky Brown, skateboarding from Great Britain. Brown is only 11-years old, and if she competes, she will become Britain’s youngest summer Olympian in history. Last spring Brown suffered a fractured skull and broken bones in her hand. Brown is determined to recover and come back stronger than before.
Morgan Hurd, all-around champion gymnast since the age of three. If Hurd is announced, she will be teammates with Simone Biles on a gymnastic team bound for Olympic greatness in Tokyo.
Janja Garnbret will compete in the women’s Sport Climbing World Championship in Tokyo. Garnbret has dominated sport climbing for the last few years. She became internationally known last year when she won all six climbing events at the World Cup.
Naomi Osaka, 2018 Grand Slam tennis champion and Australian Open champion in 2019. Osaka will play for Japan, the place of her birth. She made history last year for her protest in Minneapolis behind the murder of George Floyd. Also verbalizing her disdain for racism in both America and Japan.
Noah Lyles, the current 200-meter champion sprinter, is known for his colorful socks and a recognizable tattoo across his chest. With the retirement of Usain Bolt, Lyles has become a huge name in the sport. His sights are on winning the 100m, 200m, and 4x100m titles.
Teddy Riner, Judo World Champion gold medalist in 2012 and 2016. Riner had a ten-year winning streak come to an end earlier this year after 154 consecutive victories.
Other notables are Stephanie Gilmore, the former world champion at the World Surfing Championship, and Eliud Kipchoge, Olympic marathon Champion.
As far as fans and spectators being allowed, the official word by Olympic minister Seiko Hashimoto is that a decision will be made in the spring. They are looking at several possibilities, but of course, one of the options is no spectators.
At the beginning of January, Japan extended its coronavirus state of emergency for another month because of recent outbreaks. The latest opinion polls show 80 percent of the people living in Japan feel that the Olympics should be canceled or postponed.
Be looking out for updates on the status of the Games as more information comes in.
Written by Omari Jahi
Sources:
Bloomberg: Doubts Loom Over Tokyo Olympics Without Vaccine, Isolation Rules, Ayai Tomisawa and Yuki Hagiwara
ESPN: 2021 Tokyo Olympics: Boomers drawn with Nigeria, other teams to follow, Olgun Uluc
PinkBike: Tokyo 2021 Olympics Will Happen ‘Regardless of Pandemic Situation’ Says Organizing Committee President, Alicia Leggett
Shutterstock: 9 Athletes to Watch out for in Tokyo’s 2021 Olympics, Shutterstock
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