Olympics-Six British athletes isolating in Tokyo under COVID-19 protocols

"The group all tested negative at the airport and have continued to test negative upon arrival into the country," the BOA added, saying it was operating its own extensive COVID-19 testing protocols and mitigation measures. "This is disappointing news for the athletes and staff, but we absolutely respect the protocols in place," the British team's Chef de Mission, Mark England, said.

Six British track and field athletes and two staff members have been forced to isolate after being identified as close contacts to an individual who tested positive for COVID-19 on their flight to Japan, the BOA confirmed on Sunday. "The British Olympic Association (BOA) can confirm that six athletes and two staff members from the athletics team, who through no fault of their own have been identified as close contacts of an individual -- not from the Team GB delegation --who tested positive for COVID-19 on their inbound flight on 15 July 2021," the BOA said in a statement.

It said the group had been flagged up through Tokyo 2020's reporting service and were now undergoing a period of self-isolation in their rooms at the team's preparation camp. "The group all tested negative at the airport and have continued to test negative upon arrival into the country," the BOA added, saying it was operating its own extensive COVID-19 testing protocols and mitigation measures.

"This is disappointing news for the athletes and staff, but we absolutely respect the protocols in place," the British team's Chef de Mission, Mark England, said. "We will offer them every support during this period and we are hopeful that they will be able resume training again soon."

None of the six were named.