Tokyo Olympics: U.S. Olympic gymnast tests positive for COVID-19 while training in Japan

A US gymnast in her teens has tested positive for COVID-19.

A female gymnast from the United States tested positive for COVID-19 during a pre-Olympic training camp in Inzai, a town northeast of Tokyo. This incident was revealed in an announcement on the city’s website.

With the Olympics about to begin on Friday, concerns regarding the safety of the games are mounting in the midst of the pandemic. This development follows the withdrawal of tennis star and teenage sensation Coco Gauff from the games after contracting COVID-19 before her trip to Japan, as well as the subsequent positive tests of two South African footballers at the Athletes’ Village in Tokyo.

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The authorities in Inzai did not disclose the gymnast’s name but said the gymnast was in her teens and a member of the U.S. artistic gymnastics team, which arrived in Japan on July 15. In the statement, it states that the athlete had only moved from her hotel to a training facility in the city, a close contact has been identified and is currently being isolated.

Her name was not disclosed, though the US Olympic & Paralympic Committee said she was on the team as an athlete. The “Playbook” of infection control guidelines that govern athletes at the Olympics outlines a slew of requirements/rules for those taking part in the event. As part of these guidelines, daily tests are conducted and movement is restricted while in Japan.

The qualification rounds for the women’s gymnastics competition start on July 25.