Rediff.com« Back to articlePrint this article

US Olympic gymnast tests positive for COVID-19 in Japan

July 19, 2021 17:48 IST

A security guard carries a sign past Olympic Rings near the Tokyo Olympics athletes village on Monday

IMAGE: A security guard carries a sign past Olympic Rings near the Tokyo Olympics athletes village on Monday. Photograph: Carl Court/Getty Images

A female gymnast from the United States has tested positive for coronavirus, an official in the city where the team has been staying to train said on Monday.

The official in Inzai, just east of Tokyo, said that the gymnast was in her teens and that they'd determined she had one close contact, but declined to give more information, including whether the gymnast was on the main team or an alternate.

 

Simone Biles, currently dominant in women's gymnastics, is 24. The two teenage members of the US team are Sunisa Lee and Grace McCallum, both 18.

All four of the alternates, selected in case one of the main team members tested positive, are in their teens.

Sunisa Lee late on Monday posted a video on Instagram showing her and three team members smiling and waving their accreditation, with the caption "Tokyo bound." Still later, she posted a photo showing her and the others standing in front of the Olympic Village.

Multiple Japanese media reports said that a simple saliva screening test had flagged the athlete concerned as a suspected positive on Sunday, and it was confirmed with a more detailed PCR test on Monday.

They added that this person and one close contact were remaining at the hotel in the city where they trained, while the team taking part in competition had moved to Tokyo.

Source: REUTERS
© Copyright 2024 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Reuters content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters. Reuters shall not be liable for any errors or delays in the content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon.