Courtesy of WOWSA, Huntington Beach, California.

As countries around the world start to begin another round of quarantines and lockdowns due to COVID-19, the Tokyo Olympic Games are set to begin as scheduled on July 23rd.

Swimmers and athletes from dozens of nations have already entered Japan during June and hundreds of additional squads are training all over the country, at the invitation of local governments. Other countries are waiting until five days before the Olympics are to begin before traveling to Tokyo. Whether the athletes get into Japan early or just before the Games, we wondered about the following questions?

1. If an Olympic athlete tests positive before or during the Tokyo Olympic Games, what happens?  2. If an Olympic athlete tests positive before or during the Tokyo Olympic Games, can they still compete?  3. If an Olympic athlete tests positive before or during the Tokyo Olympic Games, are they quarantined?  4. If an Olympic athlete tests positive before or during the Tokyo Olympic Games, what if they are on a relay?  What happens with the other relay members? Must they quarantine too?  5. If an Olympic athlete tests positive between the preliminary heats and the finals during the Tokyo Olympic Games, what happens?  Are they disqualified for the finals? 6. What happens if an Olympic athlete shows symptoms of illness?  Can they compete?  Are they quarantined?  What about the rest of their teammates or other competitors?
7. If an athlete wins a medal and then they test positive, is that like a failed PED test?
8. What happens in the case of a false positive – and the athlete missing their event? 9

According to the Olympic Playbook, the athletes must do the following during their time in Japan:

• Wear a face mask at all times
• Keep at least two meters from athletes and one metre from others
• Practice good hygiene, including washing their hands regularly
• Avoid enclosed spaces and crowds wherever possible
• Follow only the activities in the team’s activity plan
• Only go to places that are on the list of permitted destinations
• Use dedicated Games vehicles
• Keep close contacts list up to date
• Monitor their health daily and report the results on Online Check-in and Health report App (OCHA)
• Get tested for COVID-19 if any symptoms are experienced, or if requested by contact tracing services
• In the case of a confirmed positive COVID-19 test, isolate immediately and inform the country’s Covid Liaison Officer (CLO)  

But how tightly is the two-meter distance rule going to be kept? ESPN did some investigative reporting here.

Copyright © 2008 – 2021 by World Open Water Swimming Association