Olympics

President Biden said "the rules are the rules" and sprinter Sha'Carri Richardson knew them before using marijuana, which she tested positive for and will therefore not be allowed to compete in the Olympics later this month.

Sha’Carri Richardson cannot run in the Olympic 100-meter race after testing positive for a chemical found in marijuana, the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency announced Friday.

Hammer thrower Gwen Berry placed her left hand on her hip and took a quarter-turn so she was facing the stands, not the flag, while the national anthem played.

Serena Williams said she will not be playing at the Tokyo Olympics. “I’m actually not on the Olympic list," she said. "Not that I’m aware of. If so, then I shouldn’t be on it."

According to event organizers, the Olympic Games will ban alcohol at venues and ask fans to refrain from cheering in a bid to prevent another surge of coronavirus infections in Japan.

Toyko Olympics organizers have set a limit of 50% of capacity up to a maximum of 10,000 fans for all Olympic venues.

Japan’s top medical adviser said the safest way to hold the Tokyo Olympics is without fans, seeming to put him at odds with organizers.

Prominent medical journal The Lancet has called for a “global conversation” about the safety of the upcoming Tokyo Olympics, criticizing global health organizations for staying silent on the matter.

Olympic athletes are being asked to sign a waiver releasing Tokyo games organizers from liability for COVID-19 issues.

A physician representing a Japanese medical body has warned that holding the Tokyo Olympics could lead to the spread of variants of the coronavirus.

The U.S. State Department and CDC issued travel warnings this week urging Americans to avoid visiting Japan amid a surge in serious COVID-19 cases. In response, Japan said the travel warnings won’t have an impact on Olympians.

Vaccine developers Pfizer and BioNTech are donating doses to inoculate athletes and officials preparing for the Tokyo Olympics.

Japan has issued a third state of emergency for Tokyo and three western prefectures to curb a surge in the coronavirus just three months ahead of the Olympics.

Japan says it will raise the coronavirus alert level in Tokyo to allow tougher measures to curb the rapid spread of a more contagious variant ahead of the Summer Olympics.

The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee will not sanction athletes for raising their fists or kneeling during the national anthem at Olympic trials, previewing a contentious policy it expects to stick to when many of those same athletes head to Tokyo this summer.

IOC President Thomas Bach and local organizers are pushing back against reports that the postponed Tokyo Olympics will be canceled.

Russia has been banned from using its name, flag and anthem at the next two Olympics or at any world championships for the next two years.

“I don’t think anyone would be able to say if it is going to be possible to get it under control by next July or not,” Tokyo organizing committee CEO Toshiro Muto said.

A senior member of the International Olympic Committee is casting doubt on the possibility of postponing, moving or scattering this summer’s Tokyo Games because of the deadly coronavirus outbreak, saying organizers will probably either hold the event or cancel it.