Australia athletes isolating at Olympics as US pole vaulter tested positive

Several members of Australia’s Olympic track and field team were placed in isolation on Thursday after a positive coronavirus case involving US pole vault world champion Sam Kendricks, Athletics Australia said. “Members of the Australian track and field team at the Tokyo Olympics are isolating themselves in their rooms as a precaution following the announcement of a positive finding of Covid with a member of the United States team of athletics, ”Athletics Australia said.

“Members of the Australian track and field team are now undergoing testing procedures in line with Australian Olympic team protocols.” The statement did not say how many athletes were involved but the Sydney Morning Herald reported the entire 63-strong track and field team had been told to isolate. Kendricks earlier became the latest high-profile withdrawal from the Olympics after testing positive for coronavirus. “We are saddened to confirm that Sam Kendricks tested positive for Covid-19 and will not compete in the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020,” the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee said on Twitter. Organisers announced a daily record of 24 new Games-related cases on Thursday, three of whom are athletes, taking the overall number of positive cases to 193. The figures do not include all cases at airports and in training camps.