US Women’s Gymnastics Team Crushes Olympic Village

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Amid growing concerns about COVID-19, the US women’s gymnastics team has chosen to stay in a hotel rather than ride in Tokyo’s Olympic Village.

“It was also a decision we all made together, we know it’s not ideal for the Olympic experience but nothing is perfect during the pandemic,” Cecil Landy, coach of both Simone Biles and Jordan Chiles, wrote on Twitter on Sunday.

Simon Biles arriving at the airport before the Olympics. AP

“We feel we can better control the athletes and our safety in the hotel environment!”

On Monday, Kara Ecker, a substitute on the team, became the first case of coronavirus among US Olympic athletes. Iker’s vaccination was positive at an Olympic training camp in Narita, Japan. She is currently in quarantine, as is Leanne Wong, a fellow surrogate and coach who was considered close contact.

“The entire delegation continues to be vigilant and will maintain strict protocols while in Tokyo,” the American Gymnastics Association said in a statement Monday.

Kara Ecker has become the first known US Olympian to be tested for the COVID virus. dpa / picture alliance via Getty I

The team’s decision to get a hotel room comes amid an alarming rise in COVID-19 cases with a variable high delta. As of Monday evening, 71 cases of COVID-19 have been linked to the Games, including several cases permeating the Olympic Village. On Tuesday, Tokyo reported more than 1,300 cases of COVID-19, 550 more than the previous week’s total.

The US team is heavily favored to win its third consecutive Olympic title in Tokyo, led by underworld Biles. All team members are vaccinated.

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