Breaking down Tokyo Olympics’ COVID-19 protocols and what happens if an athlete tests positive

Here’s a look at the COVID-19 rules the International Olympics Committee has in place for the Tokyo Games.

Despite the Tokyo Olympics being postponed a year, they’re still being held during the global COVID-19 pandemic and while Tokyo is in a state of emergency.

The International Olympics Committee, to try to limit the spread of the coronavirus and keep athletes and those around them safe, outlined several protocols that people at the Games will be required to follow. However, those regulations and procedures are already being challenged, with several athletes testing positive for COVID-19 at the Games.

Athletes are working with specifically assigned COVID-19 Liaison Officers while at the Olympics, and they had to identify their regular contacts during this time and complete an activity plan, which includes permitted destinations that are considered critical for their participation in the Games. They’re also only allow to leave the Olympic Village or their hotels to go to those destinations.

The 70-page playbook is detailed and a lot to keep track of, so here’s a breakdown of the key points for athletes, including how they’re tested for COVID-19 and what happens if they test positive while at the Olympics.

All information is according to the IOC’s playbook for athletes and officials, and the latest and final version was released in June.

WATCH: Jayson Tatum’s Team USA highlights vs. Spain: 6 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists

Catch all of Jayson Tatum’s best plays against Spain Sunday in this clip.

Even though it was not the most efficient night for Boston Celtics star forward Jayson Tatum on offense, the St. Louis native found ways to help Team USA win their final exhibition game in Las Vegas against the Spanish National Team on Sunday night, the U.S. National Team winning 83 to 76.

Tatum’s 3-of-10 shooting may not have done wonders for the margin, but his 6 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, steal and a block still managed to put Team USA into a position to win, with the St. Louis native locking in on defense and finding other ways to contribute when his shot was not falling.

Watch the clip embedded below produced by YouTuber Bllen to see Tatum’s final tune-up before Team USA makes the trip to Japan for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics which kick off next Sunday, July 25 against the French National Team.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tqeo4HI9I5Y

If the U.S. national team can stay together as they did when both squads struggled early, they may well be able to put their prodigious talent towards medaling despite their early exhibition struggles.

This post originally appeared on Celtics Wire. Follow us on Facebook!

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Team USA beats Spain 83-76 in pre-Olympics friendly; Jayson Tatum logs 6 points, 6 boards, 5 assists

An off-shooting night for Jayson Tatum, the Celtics star helped secure the win in other ways.

Team USA finished its slate of exhibition games on a high note, going .500 over the course of the four exhibition games played in Las Vegas, Nevada ahead of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics with an 83 to 76 win over the Spanish National Team on Sunday evening.

For Boston Celtics All-Star swingman Jayson Tatum, it was not the splashy return to action he likely hoped for after missing a contest due to knee soreness, with the St. Louis native having a rough shooting night from the floor. Tatum put up 6 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, a steal and a block in just over 29 minutes of play, but needed 10 field goal attempts to get there, missing 7.

While it might not have been his most accurate night of his career as a basketball player, it was good to see the Duke product finding other ways to contribute to the win.

With this game in the rear-view mirror, attention now turns to the Olympics themselves, with official play in Men’s 5-on-5 basketball beginning on Sunday, July 25 as Team USA takes on the French National Team at 8 p.m. ET.

This post originally appeared on Celtics Wire. Follow us on Facebook!

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Playing for Team USA in Olympics ‘really a dream come true’ for Boston’s Jayson Tatum

The Duke product is very excited for the chance to represent his country in the Olympics with the game’s biggest stars.

Boston Celtics star forward Jayson Tatum spoke with Boston Globe reporter Gary Washburn at length while in Las Vegas, Nevada training for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics with Team USA, and playing exhibition games against some of the national teams USA Basketball will be competing with for the Gold.

The nascent superstar still sounded a little star-struck at times in the conversation, but also shared some interesting perspectives on the honor of playing for the U.S. National Team in one of sport’s most prestigious competitions. The Duke product sounded quite excited to be part of the team at times, almost gushing with excitement.

“It’s really a dream come true,” explained Tatum

Team USA vs. Spain: Pre-Olympics Las Vegas exhibition live stream, lineups, broadcast info (7/18)

Everything you need to know to watch Sunday’s friendly against the Spanish National Team.

Team USA and Boston Celtics star forward Jayson Tatum will take on the Spanish national team in USA Basketball’s final friendly ahead of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. The team hopes to finish the series at .500 after dropping its first two exhibitions against the Nigerian and Australian national teams, and having their second tilt with Australia canceled over COVID concerns.

To date, their sole win in the Las Vegas, Nevada, friendlies was against the Argentinia, sparking concern regarding the ability of Team USA to win a gold medal in Tokyo — particularly after losing Bradley Beal and Kevin Love to COVID-19 concerns and injury respectively.

If you’re looking for information on how to watch the games on cable or a streaming service, keep reading while we get you up to speed.

WATCH: What’s been going wrong with Team USA in exhibition play ahead of the Tokyo Olympics?

Despite having more nominal talent, the wins have not come; what gives?

Why has Team USA struggled so much in exhibition games so far despite having far and away the most talent on paper of any team competing in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics?

After dropping two of their first three friendlies held in Las Vegas, Nevada before losing a pair of stars to USA Basketball’s COVID-19 health and safety protocols, is it fair to wonder whether the U.S. National team will medal at all, never mind take home the Gold? And what is behind the non-viral problems the team has been dealing with against ostensibly less-talented squads?

New England sports journalist emeritus Bob Ryan and NBA analyst John Goodman tackle exactly these questions in the latest edition of their eponymous CLNS Media podcast.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X6iSWM3DZK4

Check it out for yourself in the video embedded above to hear them troubleshoot Team USA, talk NBA Finals, and more.

This post originally appeared on Celtics Wire. Follow us on Facebook!

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WATCH: Boston’s Jayson Tatum working out for Team USA with new Celtics coach Ime Udoka

The Boston duo has been getting a feel for each other while Tatum prepares for the Olympics.

New Boston Celtics head coach Ime Udoka gets an extra perk out of his relationship with Team USA and his status as a branch of the Gregg Popovich coaching tree on top of it being a factor in his landing the new gig with the Celtics.

By being an assistant for USA Basketball under coach Pop, he gets extra reps in with one of his star wings in Boston, working with All-Star swingman Jayson Tatum on the Duke product’s game as they gear up to play in the pandemic-delayed 2020 Tokyo Olympics in Las Vegas this month. The duo could be seen putting in work in a clip circulated by Team USA retweeted by the Celtics’ Twitter account, for those with eyes to see their routine in action.

Watch the clip embedded below to get a look at it yourself.

It won’t be long now until the games are taking place in Japan — and count towards medal status.

This post originally appeared on Celtics Wire. Follow us on Facebook!

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WATCH: How does playing for Team USA help Celtics star Jayson Tatum?

Are the Olympics a wise idea for the Duke product, and if so — why?

Even before his knee started acting up and putting Boston Celtics star forward Jayson Tatum on the sidelines for an exhibition game against the Argentinian National Team this week, people were questioning whether it was a good idea for the St. Louis native to be participating in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics after such a grueling 2020-21 NBA season.

Now, with teammates entering the health and safety protocols, lifetime friend Bradley Beal no longer in the mix for the Olympics and his knee on the mend, there’s plenty of reasons to gripe about Tatum’s participation. But, are there any arguments in favor of the Duke product making the trip to Tokyo?

Celtics Blog’s Keith Smith appeared on a recent edition of the CLNS Media podcast “Celtics Beat,” where hosts Adam Kaufman and Evan Valenti and Smith break down why it’s not all negatives for Tatum in the Olympics.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-kEyq35Cb0

Listen to or watch the video embedded above to hear the lowdown on Taco Jay going for gold.

This post originally appeared on Celtics Wire. Follow us on Facebook!

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Florida’s lone basketball representative at Tokyo Olympics unable to participate

Bradley Beal was set to be a first-time Olympian. He will miss the Olympics as he remains in health and safety protocols.

Former Florida one-and-done star Bradley Beal will miss the Tokyo Olympics as he remains in health and safety protocols. Team USA announced Thursday that they are looking for his replacement.

Their statement reads: “USA Basketball Men’s National Team point guard Bradley Beal (Washington Wizards), who was placed under USA Basketball’s health and safety protocols Wednesday, will remain in health and safety protocols and will be unable to participate in the July 23-August 8 Tokyo Olympics Games. A roster replacement will be named at a later time.”

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This news is disappointing for Team USA after a rocky start in their exhibition games before the Olympics. They dropped back-to-back contests to Nigeria and Australia before they bounced back versus Argentina. Beal averaged 10.3 points and 3.3 rebounds per game and will not be a first-time Olympian this summer.

He was also coming off his best season in the NBA after he was narrowly beaten out by Golden State’s Stephen Curry for the scoring title. Beal put up 31.3 points per game that earned him a spot on the All-NBA Third Team.

Team USA has two exhibition games left against Australia Friday and Spain Sunday. The Olympic Games start July 25 when the U.S. takes on France.

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Florida’s lone basketball representative at Tokyo Olympics unable to participate

Bradley Beal was set to be a first-time Olympian. He will miss the Olympics as he remains in health and safety protocols.

Former Florida one-and-done star Bradley Beal will miss the Tokyo Olympics as he remains in health and safety protocols. Team USA announced Thursday that they are looking for his replacement.

Their statement reads: “USA Basketball Men’s National Team point guard Bradley Beal (Washington Wizards), who was placed under USA Basketball’s health and safety protocols Wednesday, will remain in health and safety protocols and will be unable to participate in the July 23-August 8 Tokyo Olympics Games. A roster replacement will be named at a later time.”

[exco_embed id=”e5869bc6-faf6-4b7a-8c06-b5610c96a8fe”]

This news is disappointing for Team USA after a rocky start in their exhibition games before the Olympics. They dropped back-to-back contests to Nigeria and Australia before they bounced back versus Argentina. Beal averaged 10.3 points and 3.3 rebounds per game and will not be a first-time Olympian this summer.

He was also coming off his best season in the NBA after he was narrowly beaten out by Golden State’s Stephen Curry for the scoring title. Beal put up 31.3 points per game that earned him a spot on the All-NBA Third Team.

Team USA has two exhibition games left against Australia Friday and Spain Sunday. The Olympic Games start July 25 when the U.S. takes on France.

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