Tokyo Olympics updates
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Quarantine measures for athletes deemed close contacts of people who have tested positive for coronavirus are roiling some competitors, who say Tokyo 2020’s organisers have diminished their ability to perform well under strict containment protocols.
Sam Kendricks, the American defending Olympic bronze medallist in the pole vault, tested positive for Covid-19 on Thursday, a day before the athletics competition was set to start. The test immediately ruled him out of competition and set off a domino effect, requiring more than five dozen members of the Australian track and field team to isolate.
Organisers have set up strict protocols to quarantine participants who test positive, as well those with whom they may have come into proximity.
The rules are enforced through a rigorous system of GPS tracking and documentation, through which accredited delegates share information about their flights, accommodation and day-to-day travel plans within Tokyo.
Phil Dalhausser, a 41-year-old US beach volleyball player and 2008 Olympic gold medallist, was forced into the close-contact quarantine system over a week ago after a teammate tested positive for the virus on their flight to Japan.
“It’s disheartening,” he said. “This whole Olympics has been kind of a bummer. We’re grateful to be here, but it’s about people coming together and celebrating sport and…
