Team USA waives training camp in Japan ahead of Olympics

The United States track and field team has given up its pre-Olympic training camp in Japan, fearing for its safety due to the pandemic, the neighboring Tokyo department that would host it announced. American athletes had to train in three cities in the Chiba department, east of Tokyo, before the start of the Olympics (July 23-August 8).

But this department said the United States Athletics Federation (USATF) had canceled the project. “Due to concerns about the safety of athletes, as the coronavirus pandemic that continues to sweep across the world shows no signs of abating. ».

“Although it is extremely regrettable, we believe that cancellation is the best decision” given the situation, the Chiba department added in a statement.

“With the uncertainty surrounding competitions in 2020 and 2021, the USATF has provided opportunities to compete locally.” Y “He encouraged athletes to stay and train in the United States”, explained the American federation.

Training camps have been canceled across Japan, either by the cities that would host them or by the athletes themselves, as the archipelago faces a fourth wave of coronavirus infections. Tokyo and five other Japanese departments are currently in a state of emergency in an attempt to stop the spread of Covid-19, which is fueling doubts about the holding of the Olympics.

The organizers of the Olympic Games, however, continue to ensure that they can take place “for sure” thanks to strict health protocols, the vaccination of a large number of participants and the successful completion of the latest tests in Tokyo. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) stressed on Wednesday that it was “Fully focused on the final phase of implementation” of the Games, despite the “Speculations” and the opposition of a clear majority of Japanese, according to all the polls.