"The health and safety of our athletes, coaches and
staff is our top priority. We are saddened to confirm that Sam Kendricks tested
positive for COVID-19 and will not compete in the Olympic Games Tokyo
2020."
"In alignment with local rules and protocols, he has
been transferred to a hotel to be placed in isolation and is being supported by
the USATF and USOPC staff," the committee wrote on Twitter.
Kendricks becomes the latest Team USA athlete to be ruled
out of the Games due to COVID-19. Beach volleyball player Taylor Crabb and Kara
Eaker -- an alternate on the US women's gymnastics team -- were also tested
positive.
"Sam is an incredible and accomplished member of Team
USA and his presence will be missed. Out of respect for his privacy, we cannot
provide more information at this time," USOPC added.
Kendricks, 28, won bronze in the pole vault at the 2016
Olympics in Rio and was aiming for another at Tokyo 2020.
Australia track and field athletes isolating in COVID-19 scare
Multiple members of Australia's Olympic track and field team
were placed in isolation on Thursday after a positive coronavirus case
involving US pole vault world champion Sam Kendricks, Athletics Australia said.
"Members of Australia's track and field team at the
Tokyo Olympic Games are isolating in their rooms as a precautionary measure
following news of a Covid-positive finding with a member of the US track and
field team," Athletics Australia said.
"Members of the Australian track and field team are now
undergoing testing procedures in line with Australian Olympic team
protocols."
The development came shortly after US Olympic chiefs said
Kendricks was out of the Olympics after testing positive for Covid-19.
The Athletics Australia statement did not say how many
Australian athletes were isolating.
The Sydney Morning Herald reported on its website that the
entire 63-strong Australian track and field team had been told to isolate.
The newspaper reported that Australian pole vaulter Kurtis
Marschall had been confirmed as a close contact of Kendricks, and that a number
of other athletes may have interacted with the American.
The Covid-19 scare comes just a day before track and field
competition at the Olympics was due to get under way.
The Tokyo Olympic organising committee on Thursday reported
24 more COVID-19 cases associated with the games, the highest daily count since
the committee began compiling infections data from the start of this month.
The 24 cases, bringing the cumulative total to 193, included
three athletes from overseas in Tokyo for the Olympics, which opened on Friday
following an unprecedented one-year postponement due to the pandemic.
The committee said the three were all staying in the
athletes' village. The daily figures were announced by the committee a day
after COVID-19 infection numbers for both Japan and Tokyo hit all-time highs of
9,583 and 3,177, respectively.
The numbers issued by the Olympic organising body do not
include those announced by central and local governments. The rest of the 24
cases are 15 contractors and six games-linked officials. Of the 24, 17 were
residents of Japan, it said, adding 39,209 people from overseas had entered
Japan for the games as of Tuesday.
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