Injuries, sickness and stuff…

[Doug1233]

That just looked like a stinger, instead of an injury.

Let’s hope it’s a “3 days in an ice bag” job

 

[irichluck21]

I assume that if Villa is out that she would be replaced with Ferrari and Mori would get the +1

 

[ArnoldRimmer]

Strong Romania 2016 vibes here.

 

[rue_des_plantes]

I figured, but I just don’t want to see Mori at all, especially if that means no Villa (absolutely devastating).

And I don’t want to see The Teens fawn over her on Twitter. She looks like a TD homegrown with GAGE and MG tendencies. The takeoffs on floor, my god.

 

[QuietColours]

Villa officially out, Ferrari to the main team, Mori in as the individual: https://www.federginnastica.it/news...ari-in-squadra,-lara-mori-individualista.html

 

[KristyJ]

I feel bad for Villa. She’s had a rough couple of years.

I almost wondered if she’d stung her foot on the takeoff of the first pass, but I went back to look at her technique on it. Sadly her set and rotation on her double backs have caused her multiple low landings over the years, requiring that she get huge height on it or else, and I wish they’d fixed that before now. After helping her team to the high finish at worlds and enduring an exceedingly difficult year she deserved better.

At the same time I am happy for Ferrari and Mori.

 

[ArnoldRimmer]

Such a shame. I love Villa on beam.

 

[JaJa]

I saw on twitter that the Dutch tests all came back negative today. So, I guess it was a false positive

I do not think it was a false positive. Rather, I think the story is that all OTHER athletes on the team came back negative and left for Tokyo this past Sunday. But for sure this will be an added stressor at this Olympics. (understatement)

Here is an article from today’s WSJ.

The Other Nightmare Olympics Scenario: Positive Tests for Stars—or Whole Teams​

Covid contact-tracing measures and a packed Tokyo Olympics schedule mean one positive test could risk knocking entire squads from competition​

The biggest risk for any country in the Olympic Games in Tokyo this summer is that a single athlete tests positive for the novel coronavirus, but some or all of their team is deemed a close contact—taking everyone out of competition.

And the biggest problem is that there aren’t many ways for a country to stop that from happening, leaving a threat that looms over everyone, including the U.S. women’s gymnastics team, Kenyan marathoners, Serbian basketballers and the Jamaican track squad. Tokyo’s tight schedule of 339 Olympic events over 19 days leaves no room for postponement.

An early warning of the possibility of one Covid-positive athlete taking down others came from the Dutch gymnastics delegation late last week. All gymnasts and staff had been vaccinated, a spokesperson for their sports federation said. One of them nonetheless tested positive shortly ahead of their planned departure to Japan.

The result was that the entire men’s and women’s teams stayed grounded in the Netherlands. Everybody was tested again. Nobody else came back with a positive test, and the men’s team, which was not deemed to include any close contacts, departed for Tokyo on Sunday. The women’s team, the spokesperson said, is continuing to train individually in Heerenveen, with frequent testing, and will leave for Tokyo on Wednesday if all the results remain negative.

Since the onset of the global coronavirus pandemic, the virus has been a wily foe for anyone trying to operate sports around it, with the possibility of silent, airborne transmission from people with no obvious symptoms, and an incubation period of up to 14 days.

The latest hurdle for organizers is that while vaccinations are highly effective at preventing hospitalization or death from Covid-19, they’re not foolproof in preventing someone from becoming infected with the virus and registering a positive test. And testing is a mainstay of the Olympic plan to stop a major outbreak at the Games that spills over into the surrounding population.

That raises a nightmare Olympic scenario in which Katie Ledecky or Simone Biles is knocked out of competition for a positive test, or a teammate’s positive test, or even a fellow air passenger’s positive test. And it’s impossible to completely eliminate that scenario, because logistically, many teammates will have no choice but to be traveling, living, eating and training together—and in proximity to other people.

Local health authorities will have the ultimate say in how to handle a positive test and the potential quarantining of that person’s close contacts, said Jonathan Finnoff, the chief medical officer of the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee. They could consider mitigating factors like a person’s vaccination status, prior infection, or the nature of the close contact. It’s still not clear whether a vaccinated person who tests positive for the virus can be infectious.

The Netherlands’ women’s field hockey team at the airport ahead of a flight to Tokyo.​

PHOTO: ROBIN UTRECHT/SHUTTERSTOCK

Finnoff said that Team USA would also be using some of the Tokyo organizers’ plans to try to minimize the spread of infection within the American delegation where possible, including using daily saliva tests for the virus, monitoring for signs and symptoms of infection, and using masks and handwashing and physical distancing where possible.

“I think that’s actually the appropriate approach, just assuming that everybody needs to follow the appropriate protocols to prevent infection-spread. And we know people who are vaccinated still can get Covid. So that’s important to know,” he said.

But there are holes lurking around every corner. For instance, most of the 1,500-member Team USA delegation will travel to Japan via commercial flights rather than charters, according to a USOPC spokesman, giving them even less control over their fellow passengers’ activities.

American swimming officials are putting their faith in what they think they can control—chiefly, their optional contact with the outside world.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/tokyo-olympics-covid-virus-outbreak-testing-11626146489

 

[Doug1233]

Noooooooooooo

That sucks so bad!!!

 

[Gymfan93]

I don’t know why a rich country like the USA doesn’t charter flights for their athletes. It’s such an unnecessary risk to have them on commercial flights with other passengers.
Imagine the US team being taken out because a businessperson on their flight tests positive.
I’m fairly sure Team GB charters BA flights to fly athletes out. At least, I think that’s what they did for Rio.

 

[choclatechip45]

Does the USOC have enough money to charter flights? Aren’t they getting sued just like USA Gymnastics?

 

[Seyonne]

When do the US gymnasts leave anyway?

 

[rlayt]

I don’t believe the country is as rich as our reputation says. Our billionaires and millionaires are. Plus USAG is going to be paying out whatever it has to LN survivors.

 

[JDB]

The athletes would still have to travel to various airports for these chartered flights, probably on communal transportation.

 

[ArnoldRimmer]

True, it’s an interesting point though. You’d think there would be some rich corporate donor who’d be up for covering costs in return for the publicity, including private transport to airports if applicable. I wonder whether USOC tried panhandling for it? I guess it never seemed that important until now, not something I’d ever given any consideration to pre-pandemic.

 

[RedBirdie]

I can’t recall if USOC leaves it up to each national governing body to handle travel logistics, or if they handle it but give an opt-out. But, yes, they typically fly commercial coach. Which is crazy. I know the US Olympic delegation is huge, but come on.

You’ll see some flying first class, or even charted, but that tends to be teams like basketball, where the athletes have the money for that stuff. I’ve seen hockey players charter flights, but that’s usually because of the why the winter olympics fall in the middle of the NHL season and they’re going from their NHL city to the olympics and back and never stopping in their home country. (and, again, they’ve got the money)

 

[JaJa]

It would seem to me that this year a chartered flight is an imperative. This is the Olympics for pete sake, not some local Little League game, and there is a global pandemic still raging. Protect the athletes. Find the money.

 

[MaryClare]

With the numbers involved for the US, it would actually be cheaper to schedule it’s own flights. Nothing fancy, just literally the equivalent of booking out a whole flight.

 

[irichluck21]

“It’s the Olympics not some city championships”- Joy Schwikert

 

[ArnoldRimmer]

I’m so happy somebody posted that.