Tokyo Olympics 2020: US gymnast tests positive for COVID-19 in Japan training

A female US gymnast tested positive for COVID-19 during a pre-Olympic training camp in Inzai, a city northeast of Tokyo, according to an announcement posted on the city’s website.

With the Olympics set to kick off on Friday, concerns are mounting about the safety of the Games in the midst of the pandemic.

The news of the gymnast comes after American tennis star Coco Gauff withdrew from the games after contracting COVID before her trip to Japan and two South African footballers tested positive at the Athletes’ Village in Tokyo.

Inzai’s authorities didn’t disclose the gymnast’s name, but said she was in her teens and a member of the US artistic gymnastics team that arrived in Japan on July 15. The athlete had only moved between her hotel and a training facility in the city, according to the statement. One close contact has been identified and is currently isolating.

Athletes participating at the Olympics are subject to a slew of rules outlined in a ‘Playbook’ of infection control guidelines, including daily testing and restricted movement while in Japan. Representatives for Team USA and USA Gymnastics didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment.

Qualifications rounds for the women’s gymnastics competition start next Sunday.