With the Tokyo Olympics finally just months away and the last qualification events underway, there are still some questions. How will it all work in the COVID era? Who gets to compete? How can I watch the Olympic triathlon races?

We’ll try to answer all your triathlon-related Olympics questions here. You can also check out all of our Olympics coverage.

Will there be an Olympics?

Probably. IOC officials have strongly said the Games will move forward, even as there is a surge of COVID cases in Japan, vaccination rates in the country remain low, and the Japanese public has expressed concerns about the Olympics being held. The World Triathlon Championship Series races in Yokohama, Japan this weekend will prove a crucial test of COVID protocols and how a high-level event can be held.

Will there be spectators and media at the Olympics?

No foreign spectators will be allowed into the country, and media and official dignitaries are expected to be sharply curtailed (and have to adhere to strict safety protocols and heavily limit their movements). However, Japanese officials have said they will not make a decision about domestic spectators at events until June.

What kind of COVID protocols do the athletes have to follow?

Strict ones. If the protocols at this weekend’s Yokohama race are any indication of what’s to come, Olympians can expect to be required to take multiple COVID tests in the 72 hours before arriving in Japan, install an app on their phone to track their movements and health status, update any symptoms daily via an app and/or phone calls, be limited or quarantined solo in their hotel rooms except for designated training times, only be allowed to train at specific times and locations, and fill out a lot of paperwork to obtain a visa.

Read More