Berlin (STATS Perform/dpa) – Two judoka from Georgia have been thrown out of the Tokyo Games after leaving the Athletes’ Village to go sightseeing, Japanese news agency Kyodo reported on Saturday.
The report quoted a spokesperson for the National Olympic Committee for Georgia as saying that the athletes had violated Covid-19 protocols.
Tokyo Olympic organising committee spokesperson Masa Takaya only confirmed that one person had seen their accreditation withdrawn.
Takaya did not identify the person concerned and would not comment on whether they were a competitor.
It is the first case of Olympic Village residents being thrown out for such a breach of the Games ‘playbook’, which includes restrictions on movement due to the Covid-19 crisis.
Takaya told a media briefing on Saturday: «To leave the Olympic Village for sightseeing, that should not be tolerated and therefore accreditation was removed.
«I can’t give you any more than that. That decision was made yesterday.
«As long as the accreditation is deprived, this person cannot enter into any Tokyo 2020 relevant venues.»
He said more detail may be provided by Tokyo 2020 CEO Toshiro Muto on Sunday, when he attends the daily Games briefing.
Takaya also said there had been a breach at a hotel housing athletes that are in isolation due to Covid-19 protocols, with two people said to have left.
«According to the facility manager – in this case it’s a hotel – I have to say the communication was not adequate. When the hotel faced the people who insisted on leaving, the hotel wanted to retain them, trying to convince them not to leave, but they have forcefully left the facility,» Takaya said.
That news came in the wake of Germany’s athletes’ body Athleten Deutschland criticizing quarantine conditions on Friday, complaining of «insufficient supply in basic areas», including fresh air.
By John Skilbeck, STATS Perform