As Olympic organisers deny reports that the Tokyo Games this summer will be postponed again, they, and other sports bodies, are wrestling w...
As Olympic organisers deny reports that the Tokyo Games this summer will be postponed again, they, and other sports bodies, are wrestling with the issue of vaccinating participants for Covid-19 at international events.
On Monday, Denis Masseglia, the president of the French National Olympic Committee, said there was no choice but to vaccinate and that “holding the Games is at stake”.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) officially has been more cautious ahead of the Tokyo Games, scheduled for July 23 to August 8. It encourages the vaccination of athletes but says it cannot impose inoculation.
IOC president Thomas Bach has said there would be “neither a vaccine obligation nor a priority to athletes” for this summer’s Olympics.
Bach cannot impose tests “for legal reasons”, said Masseglia. The Games will be on agenda of the IOC Executive Board on Wednesday.
“For those who do not wish to be vaccinated, it is important to know that the precautions for participation will be extremely tough,” said Masseglia in a video press conference, warning of “quarantine of a fortnight” and “tests in the mornings and evenings.”
While vaccination programmes are kicking into gear around the globe, they are still focusing on those facing the highest risk, so the question of whether elite athletes should be a...
