The 2024 Paris Olympics ended today with a stunning Closing Ceremony to celebrate the quadrennial gathering of the world’s best athletes. Lists abound of medals won and world records set. But another list also exists, a list people hoped would not be necessary. A list of the athletes affected by Covid-19.
These Olympics were billed as the first post-pandemic games. Tokyo 2020, in contrast, always will be remembered as the Covid Olympics. Postponed from the summer of 2020 until the summer of 2021 because of the pandemic, restrictions were tight. Spectators largely were prohibited. And athletes were closely monitored. As United States kayaker and 2024 bronze medal-winner Evy Leibarth noted before the Paris games began, “we tested every day for a month leading into the [Tokyo 2020] Olympics and then every day while we were there.”
The positive impact of these precautions was remarkable. Only a small number of athletes tested positive and a significant uptick in cases among the residents of Japan did not occur. As noted by Dr. Brian McCloskey, one of the architects of the Tokyo 2020 Covid-19 response, “Tokyo 2020 did not lead to a spreading event, let alone a super -spreading event.” Basic public health measures worked.
Similar precautions were in place for the 2022 Winter Games held in Beijing. In addition to mandatory testing and limited spectators, athletes had to be vaccinated. Again, basic public health measures worked.
Jump ahead to 2024. The pandemic landscape differs dramatically. Highly effective vaccines have been deployed throughout the world. Reported cases, hospitalizations, and deaths associated with Covid-19 have decreased significantly. Official Covid-19 precautions for the athletes largely were absent. And thousands of fans from throughout the world enjoyed the competitions.
But Covid-19 remains a threat. That fact became quite evident even before the 2024 Olympics began when several members of the Australian women’s water polo team tested positive for Covid-19. Other cases have been reported throughout the Games. The British swimmer Adam Peaty tested positive hours after winning the silver medal in the men’s 100M breaststroke. American sprinter Noah Lyles disclosed that he had tested positive days before finishing third in the men’s 200M race. Because mandatory testing is not occurring, the total number of athletes who have been infected is difficult to estimate.
It’s also difficult to estimate the effect of Covid-19 on the athletes. In the absence of Covid-19, would Adam Peaty have won gold in the 200M breaststroke? Would Noah Lyles have added a gold in the 200M sprint to his 100M gold? Did Noah Lyles put other competitors at risk by competing when he know he was infected? We can’t answer those questions. We do know that Covid-19 can cause serious respiratory problems, even among people who are fully vaccinated. The impact should not be ignored.
The thrill of the Paris 2024 Olympics was remarkable. The energy of the crowds was palpable. Clearly, the world is emerging from the pandemic shadow. Once again, large events can occur. Once again, we can celebrate as a community. The atmosphere in Paris was incredible. We needed it. But Covid-19 has not gone away. The risk remains.
