Six people, including two silver medalists from the country of Georgia, have been banished from the Olympics for breaking the Games’ COVID-19 protocols, according to organizers.
Vazha Margvelashvili and Lasha Shavdatuashvili were seen near the Tokyo Tower on Tuesday. Both athletes had already completed their Olympic judo competitions in the prior days.
Margvelashvili won silver in the men’s 66kg competition on Sunday, while Shavdatuashvili claimed silver in the men’s 73kg competition on Monday. Both Georgians lost to Japanese opponents in their respective event finals.
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Toshiro Muto, the head of the Tokyo 2020 organizing committee, said the Georgians’ sightseeing was a “clear and serious violation” of health and safety rules and that the Georgian embassy in Tokyo has apologized for the incident.
The other four people who were banished were accredited contractors from the United States and Great Britain arrested for allegedly using cocaine before the Olympics opened.
In all, Muto said there have been eight cases of Olympic credentials being temporarily suspended.
On Saturday, newly reported COVID-19 cases in Japan’s capital reached a record high of 4,058, Tokyo’s metropolitan government announced.