Tokyo Olympics: Know what happens if an athlete tests Covid-19 positive

An athlete or a team that is forced to withdraw because of Covid will be considered 'did not start (DNS)' instead of 'disqualified'. Check Covid protocols during Olympics 2021 here

Over 11,000 athletes will soon arrive in Tokyo to participate in Olympics 2021. However, amid fears of Covid-19, International Olympic Committee (IOC) has announced several guidelines for the athletes participating in Tokyo 2020.

 

Covid guidelines for athletes

 

After a three-day quarantine upon arrival, athletes will be tested daily. All the athletes will stay in a bubble, which means socialising with the general public is not allowed, and within the athletes’ village, they will have to follow certain guidelines.

 

Whether it is mandatory for an athlete to get vaccinated?

 

It is not mandatory for athletes to be vaccinated before reaching Tokyo as the IOC has planned to offer shots developed by Pfizer Inc and BioNTech SE, and China’s SinoVac Biotech Ltd.

Check Tokyo 2020 full schedule and opening ceremony time here

 

What if an athlete tests positive during Olympics?

 

Amid fears of Covid-19 during the Olympics, the IOC has laid down several protocols if an athlete tests positive during the marquee event.

 

The Tokyo 2020 Sport-Specific Regulations (SSR) have been developed by the IOC and international federations to determine specific guidelines for athletes.

The Tokyo 2020 Playbooks and Covid-19 countermeasures provide the framework for a safe and secure Olympic Games. The SSRs are therefore contingency plans in case there is a confirmed case.

 

The SSR says an athlete or a team that is forced to withdraw because of Covid will be considered ‘did not start (DNS)’ instead of ‘disqualified'.

 

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Here are certain scenarios that may occur during Olympics 2021: 

• Athletes will be tested daily and if found positive for Covid-19, they will have to withdraw from participation and will be considered did not start (DNS) instead of disqualified.
• In most sports where events go on for multiple days, a player or team testing positive can be replaced. In hockey, rugby 7s, and handball, if a team tests positive after the first round of knockout matches, they are withdrawn and the team they beat to get to the second round takes their place.
• In individual events, if an athlete is in the final but tests positive for Covid-19, that person is replaced by the next highest-ranked athlete from the heats.
• There are some events like tennis, badminton, and boxing, where if a player tests positive, the opponent receives a ‘bye’ and there is no replacement. In case this happens in the final, the player testing positive will be given a silver medal and the opponent gets gold.
• But the rules are not the same for all sports; in wrestling, if an athlete tests positive before the final match, then that athlete will be withdrawn, and athlete defeated in the semifinal advances, provided that player tests negative.
• In handball, if a team that qualified for the final is no longer able to take part due to Covid, the team that it eliminated in the earlier stage will play the final. Similarly, in hockey, the Covid-impacted team will be withdrawn and the team it eliminates will get to play the final.