Olympics: Tokyo to host international gymnastics event in November

[October 13, 2020]    TOKYO (Reuters) - Tokyo will host an international gymnastics tournament on Nov. 8, the Japan Gymnastics Association (JGA) has said, an event which could serve as a trial run for next year's rearranged Olympic Games.

The giant Olympic rings, which are being temporarily removed for maintenance, are seen behind Japan's national flag, amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, at the waterfront area at Odaiba Marine Park in Tokyo, Japan August 6, 2020. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon

The event is sanctioned by the International Gymnastics Federation and will feature 32 athletes from Japan, China, Russia and the United States.

A maximum of 2,000 fans would be allowed to attend the one-day event at Yoyogi National Gymnasium, the venue for the handball tournament at the Games, which were postponed to 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The JGA said during an online media briefing on Monday that all gymnasts arriving from overseas would have to take a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test within 72 hours prior to their departure for Japan.

Japan's 14-day quarantine period would be waived but they would be tested each day they are in Japan, it added.

Other international sporting events scheduled to be held in Japan in the coming months, including the Judo Tokyo Grand Slam and the Tokyo Marathon, have been cancelled or postponed due to restrictions on travel.

International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach said organisers expected to welcome spectators from around the world at next year’s Games.

(Reporting by Jack Tarrant; Editing by Peter Rutherford)

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