Member of US gymnastics team tests positive

[FiveRinger]

Some of the athletes for this Olympics -- I was reading about swimmers -- said that they chose not to be vaccinated because they did not feel they could afford to miss any days of practice leading to the games.

Scary.

I saw this and just about lost my mind. Doing that puts themselves and everyone else in danger. It's irresponsible.

 

[Dobre]

They should be in isolation. There was a huge outbreak at a gymnnastics gym in Oklahoma recently, with dozens of athletes positive.

Fingers crossed that Kara isn't symptomatic & that somehow it may not have spread.

 

[Buzz]

Wishing the best to Kara and the entire team!

 

[FiveRinger]

They should be in isolation. There was a huge outbreak at a gymnnastics gym in Oklahoma recently, with dozens of athletes positive.

Fingers crossed that Kara isn't symptomatic & that somehow it may not have spread.

Kara's Coach Discussing Test Results

The good news is that Kara is asymptomatic. Her mother mentioned that in another video. Al Fong was shocked because Kara was training so well and showed no signs of anything.

Al Fong talks about how they did everything possible to keep everyone safe. I'm sorry, but I don't agree. There were a number of things that I saw just in the clip that weren't good practice. If you listen to what he said, I get even more concerned. But you draw your own conclusions.

I'm starting to think that Tokyo was a mistake, as badly as I wanted to see it, and as much of a fan as I am of the Olympics, I'm starting to wish they had canceled. There's a black cloud that's starting to overtake this whole thing.

 

[skatfan]

Christine Brennan opinion article:

Opinion: Olympic leaders' nightmare scenario has become reality in Tokyo — USA TODAY

Olympic officials could not keep the coronavirus out of the athletes' village, nor could they keep it out of the marquee American Olympic team.

apple.news

 

[rfisher]

IMHO any athlete, coach or official who refused to get vaccinated should have to assume all responsibility for their isolation expenses. They made a deliberate choice and I don't feel the least bit sorry for them.

 

[FiveRinger]

Christine Brennan opinion article:

Opinion: Olympic leaders' nightmare scenario has become reality in Tokyo — USA TODAY

Olympic officials could not keep the coronavirus out of the athletes' village, nor could they keep it out of the marquee American Olympic team.

apple.news

Can you give a summary? This is behind a paywall.

 

[skatfan]

Can you give a summary? This is behind a paywall.

Sorry I got past the paywall to read it and I’m not sure why.

“Olympic organizers were hoping against hope that the pandemic would not impact the Tokyo Games any more than it already had. Now their worst fears have been realized. They could not keep COVID out of the village, nor could they keep it out of the marquee American Olympic team. COVID is everywhere, so of course it’s here too, way too close for comfort now for the U.S. team.”

And

“All these athletes, together on buses, in dorm rooms, in hallways, in venues. They’re wearing masks, or at least they are supposed to be. Still, COVID is very much out there among them, and as we are finding out, it’s as unrelenting an opponent as they’ll ever face.”

 

[MacMadame]

I'm starting to think that Tokyo was a mistake, as badly as I wanted to see it, and as much of a fan as I am of the Olympics, I'm starting to wish they had canceled. There's a black cloud that's starting to overtake this whole thing.

I wish they had followed basic common sense and used the many protocols that other sports teams and events have used to keep outbreaks to a minimum. It's possible it wouldn't have been enough but in some ways, it feels like they didn't even try!

 

[Tesla]

I wish they had followed basic common sense and used the many protocols that other sports teams and events have used to keep outbreaks to a minimum. It's possible it wouldn't have been enough but in some ways, it feels like they didn't even try!

This. So much. Tokyo had a year to figure things out. They could have set up several different sports bubbles instead of this free-for-all that seems to be happening. They should've been trying to figure this out instead of dithering "will there or won't there be an Olympics."

 

[Carolla5501]

Honestly I blame the team leadership... way back when the rules should have been clear

No vaccine, no trip to the games.

Japan and the IOC should have made that rule 1 and stood by it. USA Olympics should have made it rule 1 and stood by it.


You couldn't afford to miss a day of practice, but you can afford to miss the entire event???? Very short sighted!

 

[canbelto]

I mean it’s incredibly on brand for USAG to not have much of a plan …

 

[MacMadame]

I mean it’s incredibly on brand for USAG to not have much of a plan …

Yeah, but I was referring to the IOC. It doesn't seem on-brand for them.

 

[AxelAnnie]

I hate to say this but they should all be considered in close contact (plane, bus, training) and in quarantine.

And they should all be vaccinated as a condition of participation. There is a lot at stake here.
Note: obviously people who cannot for health reasons can't take the vaccine should be exempted

 

[DreamSkates]

Some of the athletes for this Olympics -- I was reading about swimmers -- said that they chose not to be vaccinated because they did not feel they could afford to miss any days of practice leading to the games.

Scary.

Miss a couple days of practice due to side effects or miss competing altogether?

 

[Gazpacho]

I think vaccines came at an inconvenient time for the Summer athletes. They had to decide if the possible downtime was manageable within their training schedule. I can see not wanting to lose a week a few months before your big event. Of course, for most, it would be a day and they could time it with a recovery day. So I think the athletes that didn't get vaccinated probably were extremely risk-averse or had bad info.

A lot of winter athletes already take time off in the summer (or Spring depending on the sport) and could get vaccinated then.

Some of them didn't want the downtime. Others were just selfish anti-vaxxers, like archers Brady Ellison and MacKenzie Brown.

'I don't feel like we're a danger to society': U.S. Olympic archers who refused vaccination say COVID shot 'personal choice'

TOKYO — Two American archers said on Saturday they were free to choose whether or not they get vaccinated against COVID-19, after a U.S. Olympic swimming gold…

nationalpost.com

 

[Aceon6]

@Gazpacho So happy to “see” you.

 

[Vagabond]

Those who do not get vaccinated are more likely to pass the virus on to other people, including teammates, competitors, Olympic officials, volunteers, and the public at large. That is the very opposite of what the Olympics are supposed to stand for.

 

[Husky]

Do you know that Simone Biles is out? Nobody mentions her.

 

[Hedwig]

Do you know that Simone Biles is out? Nobody mentions her.

There is a 56 pages long thread about it:

2020 OG Gymnastics Thread: The Takedown In Tokyo

How do you think NBC will present their narrative during their broadcast? I think Biles has been great getting it out there that she suffered a panic attack. Biles can also say that she was worried with all the attention she was getting that she wanted her teammates to compete and win/lose...

www.fsuniverse.net