Japan conducts 4 Test Events with participation of overseas athletes

With this summer's Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020 approaching, athletes and teams from overseas visited Japan to participate in four test events: the International Volleyball Games - Tokyo Challenge 2021, the FINA Diving World Cup 2021, the Hokkaido – Sapporo Marathon Festival 2021 and READY STEADY TOKYO - Athletics.

Due to COVID-19 countermeasures, the athletes and team members who visited Japan were required to comply with strict protocols in order to participate in the events. These included testing upon arrival at airports, daily testing throughout their stay in Japan, activity restrictions (limitation of movements to hotels, competition venues and practice venues), and prevention of close contact through physical and temporal distancing.

More than 700 athletes and over 6,000 related staff participated in the four test events. Among these thousands of participants, not a single positive case emerged during the competition periods, and the lone positive test result was immediately confirmed upon the individual's arrival in Japan.

On April 28, one of the overseas coaches participating in the FINA Diving World Cup 2021 tested positive for COVID-19 upon arrival at the airport and was moved to a facility designated by the quarantine office. It was also promptly confirmed that no others, including other team members, had come into close contact with the person (as reported on April 29).

The organizers said that they are grateful to all those involved in organizing these test events. They added that, Tokyo 2020 will continue to take all possible COVID-19 countermeasures to ensure that the Games are safe and secure for both the athletes and officials participating from around the world and the people of Tokyo and Japan welcoming them as hosts.