Simone Biles, USA Gymnastics Team Won't Stay at Tokyo Olympic Village Due to COVID-19
July 20, 2021
The United States women's gymnastics team won't be staying at the Olympic Village as a precaution against COVID-19.
Cecile Landi, Simone Biles' and Jordan Chiles' personal coach, tweeted the team decided together to stay at a nearby hotel in Tokyo because they feel like they "can control the athletes and our safety better in a hotel setting!"
Per Corky Siemaszko of NBC News, USA Gymnastics announced Tuesday that the plan has always been for the team to stay at a hotel instead of the Olympic Village.
“Tokyo 2020 is not in a position to comment on individual team’ performance decisions,” the Olympic organizing committee told NBC News about the decision by Team USA.
The decision comes in the wake of Kara Eaker, an alternate on the U.S. squad, testing positive for the virus.
Eaker's father, Mark, told the ABC affiliate in Kansas City, Missouri that she is currently isolating, along with a close contact who is also on the team, in Tokyo.
As of Monday, per Graham Dunbar of the Associated Press, three athletes have already tested positive for the coronavirus inside of the Olympic Village.
That total doesn't include Eaker, who was working out at an Olympic training camp in Japan when she tested positive.
During a Tuesday press conference, Toshiro Muto, head of the Tokyo Olympics organizing committee, said he wouldn't rule out the possibility of a late cancellation of this year's Games because of increased COVID-19 concerns in Tokyo and among athletes.
There are expected to be around 11,000 athletes from more than 200 countries heading to Tokyo for the start of the Olympics this week.
The first women's gymnastics events are qualifiers scheduled to take place on July 25.
Team USA is the two-time defending Olympic champion in the women's team all-around. Biles will be going for her second consecutive gold medal in the individual all-around.
The decision comes in the wake of Kara Eaker, an alternate on the U.S. squad, testing positive for the virus.
Eaker's father, Mark, told the ABC affiliate in Kansas City, Missouri that she is currently isolating, along with a close contact who is also on the team, in Tokyo.
As of Monday, per Graham Dunbar of the Associated Press, three athletes have already tested positive for the coronavirus inside of the Olympic Village.
That total doesn't include Eaker, who was working out at an Olympic training camp in Japan when she tested positive.
During a Tuesday press conference, Toshiro Muto, head of the Tokyo Olympics organizing committee, said he wouldn't rule out the possibility of a late cancellation of this year's Games because of increased COVID-19 concerns in Tokyo and among athletes.
There are expected to be around 11,000 athletes from more than 200 countries heading to Tokyo for the start of the Olympics this week.
The first women's gymnastics events are qualifiers scheduled to take place on July 25.
Team USA is the two-time defending Olympic champion in the women's team all-around. Biles will be going for her second consecutive gold medal in the individual all-around.