Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Olympians Can Now Unmask For Medal Photos On The Podium — Briefly
AP: The Faces Of Olympic Victory, Now Without Masks
The faces of victory will be a bit more visible for the rest of the Tokyo Olympics. On Sunday, the International Olympic Committee relaxed its health rules and said medalists can remove their masks on the podium for photos — for 30 seconds. This, says the IOC, acknowledges “a unique moment in their sporting career.” (7/26)
The Wall Street Journal: Tokyo’s Olympics Were Supposed To Be In 2020. Tokyo’s Covid Protocols Are Still There
The Tokyo Olympics were supposed to be in 2020. Based on their pandemic protocols, organizers are behaving as if that’s still the case. Dining rooms are filled with plexiglass partitions. Microphones are sanitized between questions at news conferences. Even athletes supporting other athletes are advised, “Clap, do not sing or chant.” “We know now that this virus is primarily a respiratory virus,” said Deborah Roy, president of the American Society of Safety Professionals. “Washing your hands and cleaning surfaces is still a good idea…but in a rational way, not in an obsessed way.” (Robinson, Hernandez and Beaton, 7/26)
Axios: Behind The Scenes At The COVID Olympics
The COVID rule-breaking was obvious at Friday's opening ceremony, when athletes were clearly visible on TV with masks below their noses, but an athlete tells Axios that the rule-breaking has been going on well before that. It's been happening at least since athletes arrived in the Olympic Village, where masks were dropped below noses and different teams were forced to share buses. Even the official plan introduces risks, both via the flight to get to Tokyo as well as shared dining facilities, where people of course are unmasked. (Fried, 7/24)
In other Olympics updates —
Bloomberg: Tokyo Olympics Has 16 More Virus Cases, Including Three Athletes
Japanese Olympics organizers reported sixteen more coronavirus cases, including three infections among athletes, as the spectator-free Tokyo games continued under tight restrictions. Those who tested positive included contractors and employees of Tokyo 2020, according to a statement on the organizer’s website, as well as eight others connected to the Games whose exact roles weren’t made clear. Six of the total are residents of Japan, though the statement didn’t identify the nationalities of the athletes or the events they were scheduled to compete in. (Reynolds, 7/26)
Axios: Golf's Bryson DeChambeau Tests Positive For COVID
Bryson DeChambeau has tested positive for COVID-19 and will miss the Tokyo Olympic Games, USA Golf announced late Saturday. "I am deeply disappointed not to be able to compete in the Olympics for Team USA," DeChambeau said in a statement. "Patrick Reed will replace DeChambeau and is undergoing the requisite testing protocol" Sunday and Monday before his expected departure for Japan, per a USA Golf statement. (Falconer, 7/25)
The Washington Post: Lee Kiefer, An American Medical Student, Wins Historic Gold Medal In Fencing
For Lee Kiefer, who became the first U.S. man or woman to win a gold medal in individual foil Sunday in the Tokyo Olympics, fencing and medicine run deep. The daughter of two doctors, Kiefer, 27, is a medical student herself, studying at the University of Kentucky. She is married to Gerek Meinhardt, a 30-year-old fellow Kentucky medical student who is her partner in life, medicine and fencing. In Tokyo, he is competing in his fourth Olympics, having won a team bronze in foil in the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro. (Boren, 7/25)
AP: Gymnastics Team, Tired Of 'Sexualization,' Wears Unitards
The team’s outfits looked similar to the others in the room as the arena lights gleamed off crystals crisscrossing their chests and down their crimson and white sleeves. But the German gymnastics team’s new Olympic suits didn’t stop at their hips. For decades, female gymnasts have worn bikini-cut leotards. In qualifying on Sunday, however, the German team instead wore unitards that stretched to their ankles, intending to push back against sexualization of women in gymnastics. (Galofaro, 7/26)
ABC News: This Doctor Helps Olympians With Their Sleep. Here Are His Tips To Sleep Like A Champion.
Olympic teams often have coaches, trainers and physical therapists on their staff. But for the Tokyo Games, the U.S. Weightlifting team has added another role to help its athletes perform at the top of their game – a sleep performance director. Dr. Jeffrey Durmer is a neuroscientist who specializes in sleep. Since 2013, he has been helping athletes in various sports as a sleep consultant to optimize their performance through sleep programs. This year, he is one of the first staff members on an Olympic team that solely specializes in sleep. (McLellan, 7/26)
