Tokyo Olympics 2021: Aussie athletes to be left stranded in Tokyo if they fail test

Aussie athletes will have to sign up to an unprecedented list of conditions, some which remain top secret, simply to compete in Tokyo. But not everyone is happy.

Aussie athletes who get infected with the coronavirus while competing at this year’s Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics will be barred from returning home until they can prove they are completely free of the disease.

While the mere suggestion of leaving anyone behind goes against everything that Australian teams stand for, Olympic officials have confirmed it is a non-negotiable part of the deal to ensure the Tokyo Games can proceed in the midst of a global pandemic.

“If you test positive over there, you go into the Japanese government’s quarantine system,” Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) chief executive Matt Carroll told News Corp.

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AOC CEO Matt Carroll says Australia will take a hard line approach to athletes who test positive before flying home. Picture: Mark Metcalfe/Getty

“I believe they‘re designating a particular hotel for the athletes who may test positive and then you get back to that part while you’re there.

“You have to have a test before you depart and if you test positive, you have to stay behind.”

Carroll said if any Australian athlete was required to remain in Japan until passing a COVID-19 test, a team official would also stay behind so no-one would be left alone.

News Corp can reveal that the policy is just one of an unprecedented list of conditions that Australian athletes will be required to sign up for in order to compete in Tokyo.

The full list remains top secret because some of the more contentious suggestions are still being hotly debated before being presented to athletes but draft documents seen by News Corp leave no doubt athletes in Tokyo will be subjected to some of the strictest rules ever adhered to by teams in green and gold.

These include stopping Australians from cheering their own teammates during events (with clapping suggested as the best way to show support), as well as banning athletes from participating in the Opening and Closing Ceremonies and even conversing with overseas competitors in the official village.

Brendan Schwab, the executive director of the World Players Association, has slammed some of the rules, saying the onus should be on officials to protect athletes rather than the other way around.

“The risk of the virus should not under any circumstances be placed on the shoulders of athletes,” Schwab said.

“We are concerned athletes are signing (Olympic) waivers that state that they are saying attending the Games at their own risk.

“The issues are an ongoing battle for athletes, it shows you how sports bodies value their own interests above the athletes and how athlete ambition and commitment are exploited.”

Australian Olympic officials and the government reject the notion the rules are unfair, arguing that the extra regulations that are being put in place for Tokyo are necessary to protect the health of athletes.

While it is a condition of the Japanese government that all foreign athletes need to pass a COVID-19 test before travelling to Japan, as well as undergo regular tests while in Tokyo, Australian officials are standing by their rigid, additional regulations.

Aussie Olympians and Paralympians must adhere to strict rules. Picture: Matt King/Getty

The reason is simple: Australian officials, including the government, are not convinced the Olympic village will be COVID-19 free and expect hundreds of foreign athletes will have the virus so will be treating everyone as a potential carrier.

“I think it’s inevitable that there will be coronavirus at the Olympics. I think that would have to be a given. It is a concern,” Federal Sports Minister Richard Colbeck told the ABC after confirming the government would prioritise athlete vaccinations.

“It is not going to be a segregated games village, food halls, things of that nature where the athletes will be gathering and mingling together. So, observing those important things that will protect yourself from contracting the virus.”

News Corp understands Australia’s Olympic and Paralympic teams have applied to take their own testing machine to Tokyo – a BioFire system that can detect the presence of COVID-19 within an hour, much faster than the official testing system.

It can also be revealed that only a handful of Australian athletes – possibly no more than 10 – will be allowed to participate in the Opening and Closing Ceremonies to limit the chances of widespread infections, especially just before athletes fly home on their chartered Qantas planes.

Federal Sports Minister Richard Colbeck says Covid positives will be inevitable at the Games. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Gary Ramage

Documents seen by News Corp have also illustratedthe extraordinary length the AOC and Paralympics Australia is prepared to go to in order to keep our athletes away from their foreign competitorsmany of whom are friends.

This includes taking thousands of prepacked meals to Japan so that Australian athletes won’t have to mix with overseas rivals in the village dining hall – traditionally one of the popular social meeting places at the Games.

While Australian athletes are unlikely to be banned from going to the dining hall, they will be encouraged to stay away and eat the especially prepacked meals on offer, but if they insist on dining out, they will be under strict orders not to talk with anyone for fear of catching the disease through airborne transmission.

“The next playbook (rule book) is about to be released so once that happens we’ll see what the problems with the protocols and so forth and then manage those accordingly,” Carroll said.

The opening ceremony will look very different this year.

“But our job is to get the Australian Olympic team to Tokyo safely so they perform at their best and we keep them safe.”

Paralympian Madison de Rozario said for many athletes, the opportunity just to compete made up for the unusual restrictions being implemented.

“From any angle – whether it’s sport in general, women in sport or Para-sport, people of all ages look up Olympians and Paralympians who all step up to compete for their nation,” she said.

“In performing, athletes highlight what can be achieved and the impacts of the Games filter down into so many different factions of society. For us to be vaccinated and be able to compete in a safer environment should be seen as investment into the wider community.”

Originally published as Tokyo Olympics 2021: Aussie athletes to be left stranded in Tokyo if they fail test