Explained: What happens if athletes test COVID positive at Tokyo Olympics

 International Olympic Committee released guidelines on how matters of COVID-19 positive athletes would be dealt with in case the infection is found while the matches were on. 

In case an athlete or a team test positive for coronavirus while being present at the site of the games and are compelled to withdraw their participation, they would not be classified as ‘disqualified’ but be put into the ‘did not start (DNS)’ category.

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Athletes would also be tested for COVID-19 on a daily basis and would require a negative test report for single-day events such as marathons, shooting and weight lifting. 

However, in the case of players who are participating in events that last for multiple days test positive before the knockout stages begin, they are considered as a withdrawn team. However, in case the team or individual gets a positive report while they are further in the tournament, they are withdrawn from the competition and are replaced by the next in line.

What about close contact sports?

Some sports have a higher chance of spreading the virus, like swimming and wrestling. In case an athlete tests positive before the final leg of the sport, the person who was defeated by the sportsperson who tested positive will be allowed to compete for the gold medal.

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The only requirement for the game would be for both athletes to test negative, according to reports from Indian Express citing the Sports Specific Regulations from the IOC.

However, the newly released guidelines leave some grey areas. The Sports Specific Regulations do not clarify what would happen to a team if they test positive before the final match, according to reports from Indian Express.