This year’s Tokyo Olympics 2020-21 Games are scheduled to begin on July 23. The opening ceremony is expected to feature Japanese emperor, Naruhito. But athletes present to Tokyo and travelling to the Asian subcontinent are facing issues with regards to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
The latest high-profile name to be affected by the deadly virus is USA volleyball athlete, Taylor Crabb. The 29-year old recently tested positive for COVID-19 and is reportedly running the risk of missing out on the quadrennial showpiece altogether.
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America’s Taylor Crabb might have to forego Tokyo Olympics 2020
American outlet NBC4 News in Boston was one of the first official outlets to confirm this development. As per reports,? Team USA Volleyball was detained at the airport for 18 hours after arriving in Tokyo on Sunday. They were later required to take a second COVID-19 test after Crabb’s unfortunate result.
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They further added that Crabb’s brother, Trevor Crabb (who is also a professional beach volleyball player), confirmed the same. The latter claimed the situation was ?terrible,? while adding that Taylor is ‘fine and healthy’ and should be allowed to play in his opinion.
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Taylor Crabb was scheduled to make his Olympic debut alongside partner and three-time Olympian Jake Gibb in 2021. The Hawaii-born volleyball star was the 2018 and 2019 AVP most valuable player. Crabb has a decent fan following. Despite being considered ‘undersized’ for beach volleyball, Crabb boasts impressive reflexes with extensive knowledge of the sport.
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This will serve as a huge loss to the American contingent currently gearing up for the Tokyo Olympics. The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee are yet to comment on the situation. It is unclear as to who will arrive as a replacement for Crabb.
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