U.S. gymnasts arrived at Haneda Airport in Ota Ward, Tokyo, on Wednesday in preparation for the first international event for an Olympic sport to be held in Japan since the outbreak of the novel coronavirus pandemic.
The United States, China, Japan and Russia are participating in the Gymnastics Friendship and Solidarity Competition, which will be held at Yoyogi 1st Gymnasium in Shibuya Ward, Tokyo, on Sunday.
Team USA was the first to arrive, and the delegation members took PCR tests at the airport. They were seen wearing masks and exchanging greetings with their hosts before proceeding to a private bus that took the group to a Tokyo hotel.
The delegation chartered a flight from Los Angeles comprising only the team and related staff. Members must take a PCR test every day until the end of the competition and are in principle prohibited from engaging in unrelated activities.
According to the Tokyo Organizing Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, athletes from each nation and region are exempt from the 14-day self-quarantine only when they submit detailed itineraries regarding their stay.
The event is a critical test prior to the Tokyo Games that have been postponed until next year.
"It is important to show that an international competition can be held," said Seiko Hashimoto, the minister in charge of the Tokyo Games, at a press conference on Wednesday.
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