Olympics to Allow Children of Nursing Mothers After Criticism from Alex Morgan, More

Tokyo Olympics organizers announced Wednesday they've eased COVID-19 restrictions to allow nursing mothers to bring their children to the Summer Games, which begin with some preliminary competitions July 21.

"Given that the Tokyo 2020 Games will take place during a pandemic, overall we must unfortunately decline to permit athletes' family members or other companions to accompany them to the Games," organizers told Manasi Pathak of Reuters on Wednesday. "However, after careful consideration of the unique situation facing athletes with nursing children, we are pleased to confirm that, when necessary, nursing children will be able to accompany athletes to Japan."

The decision comes after several athletes, including Americans Alex Morgan (soccer) and Aliphine Tuliamuk (marathon), expressed concern about familial restrictions that included the inability to bring young children with them to Tokyo.

In April, Morgan explained it was "important to allow mothers the option to have their kids with them while they compete."

"I'm just still very hopeful that I'll have my daughter with me, [and someone] who will be able to watch her during training and games," the U.S. women's national team striker said of her 13-month-old daughter, Charlie. "... If a child is under one or two, they might still be breastfeeding, so that's a huge piece of it."

Despite the clearance for entrance into Japan, organizers said the children will have to stay in "approved hotels" outside of the Olympic Village, which is limited to only athletes and team officials, per Pathak.

In May, Tuliamuk told Dave Sheinin of the Washington Post she couldn't imagine traveling to the Games without her daughter, who's just five months old.

"If I'm going to perform my best, she's going to have to be there with me—and I hope she will be," she said.

Canadian basketball player Kim Gaucher was among the other athletes to speak out about the since-lifted restrictions.

"Right now, I'm being forced to decide between being a breastfeeding mom or an Olympic athlete. I can't have them both," Gaucher said in video posted on social media last week.

The Tokyo Olympics, which were originally scheduled to take place last summer, were delayed until this year because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Although Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga has been a steadfast supporter of moving forward with the Games, he expressed concern about the COVID-19 cases in Tokyo on Wednesday.

"The number of new infections has remained low in many regions, but it's on a rising trend in Tokyo," Suga said. "We intend to implement [existing] steps thoroughly and introduce necessary measures in a timely manner while carefully watching the situation."

Athletes have already begun arriving in the country ahead of the July 23 opening ceremony.