Athletes to put on medals by themselves

The “very significant change” to the traditional medal ceremonies was revealed on Wednesday by International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Thomas Bach. “The medals will not be put around the neck. They will be presented on a tray and the athletes will then take the medals from it,” said Bach. “The person who will put the medal on the tray will wear disinfected gloves so that the athletes can be sure nobody touched it before,” added Bach. He also confirmed that there would be no handshakes and hugs during the ceremonies in Tokyo. Olympic medals are usually presented by an IOC member or by a leading official in a sport’s governing body.

Oath-takers number increased

The number of oath-takers at the Olympic Games opening ceremony has been doubled from three to six to ensure gender parity, the IOC said while announcing that the oath has been reworked slightly to incorporate “inclusion and equality” in it.

IOC refugee team official tests positive

An official of the IOC refugee team has tested positive for COVID-19 in Doha, leading to a delay in their travel plans even though others have returned negative results for now.