OLYMPIC GAMES | ARTISTIC GYMNASTICS
US gymnast Kara Eaker joins covid-19 positive case list at Olympic Games
Team USA confirmed another positive coronavirus test early today among the reserve athletes who are part of the women's artistic gymnastics squad.
A female United States gymnast Kara Eaker has tested positive for coronavirus while training in Tokyo ahead of the Olympics, the US Olympic Committee (USOC) has confirmed.
Olympic Games news:
The 2018 Pan American and 2019 Pan American Games champion and a two-time United States national silver medalist was an alternate – a team member included as a reserve – and will now isolate along with another team member who has been identified as a close contact.
"The health and safety of our athletes, coaches and staff is our top priority," a USOC statement read.
"We can confirm that an alternate on the women's artistic gymnastics team tested positive for COVID-19.
The positive test comes just four days before the delayed Games begins, with fellow US female gymnast Simone Biles set to be one of the stars of the competition.
The 24-year-old won four gold medals and a bronze at Rio 2016 and will be looking to add to that haul when the women's gymnastics competition starts on July 25.
It was also confirmed on Monday that Czech Republic beach volleyball player Ondrej Perusic tested positive for COVID-19.
Perusic and playing partner David Schweiner are due to begin their Tokyo 2020 campaign against Latvia on July 26, but the Czech Olympic Committee will seek to postpone the game until Perusic is cleared to play.
The number of Games-linked individuals to have tested positive for coronavirus since testing began on July 1 stood at 60 on Monday.
South Africa's men's football pair Thabiso Monyane and Kamohelo Mahlatsi were the first two athletes inside the Olympic Village to test positive over the weekend.
Around 11,000 athletes from 205 national Olympic committees are expected to stay at the village over the next three weeks.
The 2020 Games, delayed by a year due to the global health pandemic, will be held mostly without spectators due to a state of emergency being declared in Tokyo.
Infection rates in the Japanese capital have topped 1,000 for five days running, with a seven-day average of 1,068 as of Sunday.