Tokyo, Aug 1: An outdoor drinking party at the athletes village that broke rules designed to limit the spread of COVID-19 at the Games is being investigated, Tokyo Olympic officials said Sunday. Organizing committee CEO Toshiro Muto said “multiple athletes” and other team officials were drinking alcohol at the park within the village late Friday. Police arrived after the incident, Muto said at a news briefing, without identifying the athletes or any team involved or what action, if any, officers took.
The 11,000 athletes at the Tokyo Olympics were warned before the Games that drinking alcohol in groups was a breach of the so-called playbook rules intended to limit COVID-19 infections. Athletes were told they could drink alone in their rooms at the complex of 21 residential towers next to Tokyo Bay. In the most serious cases of rule-breaking, athletes can be removed from the village and have their Olympic credential taken away.
“We are investigating the situation and based on the result we are to take appropriate action,” Muto said. Two medal-winning athletes lost their Olympic accreditation during the week for taking an authorized tourist trip outside the village.
Vazha Margvelashvili and Lasha Shavdatuashvili, silver medalists for Georgia in judo, were seen near Tokyo Tower on Tuesday after their events finished, which Muto described as a “clear and serious violation” of the rules. (AP)
