The Margin: U.S. pole vaulter Sam Kendricks is the latest Olympic athlete testing positive for COVID-19

This is one of the highest daily increases of the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19 linked to the international sporting event since organizers started keeping records on July 1. And the spike in Olympic COVID cases came on the same day that Tokyo reported the highest-ever number of daily cases (3,865) in the Japanese capital since the pandemic began. 

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The new athletes testing positive include U.S. pole vaulter Sam Kendricks, who took home a bronze medal in Rio in 2016. He will no longer be competing in the Tokyo Games. A U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee tweet confirmed that he has been transferred to a hotel to be placed in isolation, in accordance with local rules and protocols.

His positive test also sent three members of Australia’s track and field team into isolation as a precautionary measure, since they had “fleeting” contact with Kendricks. These three have been vaccinated against COVID-19, and have so far tested negative, according to the Australian Olympic Committee. Argentinian pole vaulter German Chiaraviglio has also tested positive, which he revealed on Instagram on Thursday. He is isolating in his hotel.

The Wall Street Journal notes that it is not clear if Kendricks was vaccinated against COVID-19; during a June 14 zoom call with reporters, he didn’t directly answer the question. In fact, 100 American athletes at the Tokyo Olympics are unvaccinated against COVID-19, according to the team doctor. Although it should be noted that the 83% vaccination rate of Team USA is still much higher than the national vaccination rate in the U.S.

Read more: 100 American athletes at the Tokyo Olympics are unvaccinated, team doctor says

So far, around two dozen athletes have had to withdraw from this year’s Games after testing positive for COVID, according to Olympics organizers, while some others have had to pull out because their partner in competition drew a positive test. Some of the athletes’ identities have not been disclosed, but here’s a running list of the Olympians who have publicly withdrawn from the Tokyo Games due to COVID, which will continue to be updated. 

USA

• Pole vaulter Sam Kendricks

• Beach volleyball player Taylor Crabb

• Golfer Bryson DeChambeau

• Tennis player Coco Gauff 

• Gymnastics alternate Kara Eaker 

• Basketball player Katie Lou Samuelson

Basketball player Bradley Beal was also placed in coronavirus health and safety protocols at the training camp in Las Vegas, but has not publicly disclosed a positive COVID-19 test.

Czech Republic 

• Beach volleyball players Ondřej Perušič and Markéta Sluková-Nausch

• Table tennis player Pavel Sirucek 

• Cyclist Michal Schlegel 

The Czech team has launched an investigation into the cluster of COVID infections, as some of these athletes had shared a charter flight to the Games. And beach volleyball player Barbora Hermannova had to withdraw after her teammate Sluková-Nausch tested positive.

The Netherlands

• Tennis players Jean-Julien Rojer and Wesley Koolhof

• Rower Finn Florijn

• Skateboarder Candy Jacobs

• Taekwondo martial artist Reshmie Oogink

Great Britain 

• Tennis players Dan Evans and Johanna Konta

• Shooting competitor Amber Hill 

Mexico

• Baseball players Hector Velazquez and Sammy Solis

South Africa

• Football players Kamohelo Mahlatsi and Thabiso Monyane

Spain

• Golfer Jon Rahm  

Australia 

• Tennis player Alex de Minaur

Chile

• Taekwondo martial artist Fernanda Aguirre

Portugal 

• Surfer Frederico Morais

Russian Olympic Committee

• Swimmer Ilya Borodin

Germany

• Cyclist Simon Geschke

Organizers at the Tokyo Olympics will continue to share their data tracking confirmed COVID-19 cases at the Games here.