Tokyo Olympics 2020: USA track and field team scraps pre-Games camp over coronavirus concerns, say Japanese officials

Tokyo: The US track and field team has scrapped plans for pre-Olympic training in Japan over concerns about safety during the pandemic, Japanese officials said.

US athletes were supposed to train in Chiba, outside Tokyo, before the pandemic-postponed Games open on 23 July.

But the Chiba regional authority said in a statement the team cancelled "because of concerns over athlete safety as the coronavirus pandemic continues around the world with no prospects of winding down".

"Although the cancellation is extremely regrettable, we think it is the best decision... given the current situation," the region said.

The US team (USATF) said in a statement that it had scrapped plans for pre-Games training when the Olympics were postponed last year.

"With the uncertainty surrounding competitions in 2020 and 2021, USATF provided domestic competitive opportunities... and encouraged Team USATF athletes to stay in the US and train," it said.

Pre-training camps across Japan have been cancelled either by prospective host towns or the athletes involved over virus concerns as the country battles a fourth wave of infections.

Tokyo and several other parts of Japan are under a virus emergency, and the government is facing pressure over its comparatively slow vaccine roll-out.

Organisers say anti-virus measures will ensure the Games are held safely and point to a string of recent test events, including some with international participants, that were held without producing virus clusters.

The Japanese public, however, remains opposed to holding the Games this summer, with most favouring cancellation or a further delay.