Tokyo Olympics: Aussie athletes warned to follow COVID rules or face being kicked out of Tokyo

The list of regulations for athletes heading to Tokyo this year just keeps getting longer and longer, but the one sobering rule that hasn’t changed is the blunt warning from Olympic bosses.

Competitors selected for this year’s Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics have been warned they could be expelled from the Games if they break the strict new rules being put in place to try and stop the spread of coronavirus.

The new regulations include Australian athletes now having to pass two COVID-19 tests before being allowed to travel to Japan as well as undergoing daily tests in order to be allowed to enter their events.

Previously, athletes only had to pass one test before travelling to Japan and would only be tested once every four days but those rules have now been dramatically beefed up after Japan re-entered a state of emergency.

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Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike shows the Tokyo 2020 Olympics playbook.

All athletes will have to pass a third COVID-19 test the moment they arrive in Japan before being permitted to enter the official village plus agree to rigorous rules around social distancing, mask wearing and contact tracing.

The new regulations have all been laid out in the updated version of the Tokyo “playbook” – accompanied by a blunt warning from the Olympic boss himself that anyone who refuses to comply could face being kicked out of the Games.

“These tools will only work, however, if everyone shows solidarity and follows the guidelines,” the International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach said.

“This is why those violating the rules can expect to be strictly dealt with in Tokyo.

“This is our commitment to the people of Tokyo and Japan, who are so kindly welcoming us to their city and country this summer.”

The Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) has welcomed the release of the stringent new rules, saying they will help with detailed planning following this week’s announcement from the federal government that Australian athletes will be given priority access to vaccinations.

That promise came with a warning from government ministers that experts believe it is “inevitable” that some athletes from foreign countries will be carrying the coronavirus in Tokyo and the sobering confirmation that any Australian who tests positive while in Japan will be barred from returning home until they can prove they are clear of infection.

Thomas Bach and Seiko Hashimoto have implored athletes to abide by the rules.

“We also know that a raft of countries are in the same position as us, rolling out vaccination programs for their athletes. That is reassuring,” AOC Chef de Mission Ian Chesterman said Chesterman said.

“Once we receive the final playbook in June the AOC will then finalise our own additional protocols. The news that our athletes can be vaccinated before arriving in Tokyo adds that welcome layer of relief and we hope all will have received their first jab by the end of May.”

The playbook covers a wide range of rules, including bans on cheering at events, bans on using public transport and talking, both at dining halls and in cars.

Athletes will also be required to wear face masks at all times, except when sleeping, eating and competing, and will be barred from sightseeing or visiting restaurants and bars.

News Corp has also revealed Australian team members will be told that only a select handful of competitors will be allowed to attend the Opening and Closing Ceremonies.

Non-competing foreign visitors, including Olympic support staff and media, will be required to complete three days’ quarantine before commencing their work while everyone who goes to Japan will have to serve two weeks when they return home.

The decision on whether Japanese spectators can attend the Games has been pushed back to June with international visitors, including friends and families of athletes, having already been told they cannot attend.

Ian Chesterman says Aussie athletes hope to get their first jab by the end of May.

More rules will be announced in June but Tokyo 2020 President Hashimoto Seiko said she remains confident the Games will go ahead if everyone follows the countermeasures being put in place.

“It is important that all stakeholders fully understand these rules, and that each and every one arrives in Japan with the understanding that their co-operation is critical to the success of the Games,” she said.

“We will hold online briefings for each of our stakeholder groups to ensure clear and comprehensive communication on these points.”