Olympics: Organisers say fears of virus banished by success of test event

  • 11/10/2020
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TOKYO (Reuters) - Organisers of a weekend international gymnastics meet in Tokyo, seen as a major test ahead of next year’s postponed Olympic Games, lauded on Tuesday the success of the event, saying the athletes’ fear of the coronavirus had been replaced by joy.Adding to the optimism was news that Pfizer Inc’s experimental COVID-19 vaccine is more than 90% effective, based on initial trials, though Olympics organisers have said their Games do not depend on a vaccine. Sunday’s event, involving athletes from Japan, China, Russia and the United States, went off largely without a hitch as the Federation International de Gymnastique (FIG) and the Japanese Gymnastics Association (JGA) tested various measures against the novel coronavirus. All athletes and staff took daily PCR tests during their time in Japan and their movements were heavily restricted. Likewise, the 2,000 fans allowed into the Yoyogi National Gymnasium on Sunday had their temperatures checked upon entry.

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