Why Simone Biles Won't Be at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics Opening Ceremony
The Team USA gymnasts will sit out the opening festivities.
As the 2020 Tokyo Olympics get underway, some of the event's most anticipated athletes will be skipping out on the Opening Ceremony. Team USA gymnasts Simone Biles, Sunisa Lee, Jordan Chiles, Grace McCallum, Jade Carey, and MyKayla Skinner will not attend as they are "focused on preparation" for the women's gymnastics qualifying round on Sunday, said Meredith Yeoman, a spokeswoman for USA Gymnastics, to People.
In an Instagram Q&A, Biles said that the team would be missing the ceremony due to "COVID" and the "amount of standing," adding, "We start the following day, so it wouldn't be smart." However, she did reveal that the ladies "did our own little walk outside where we are staying haha."
The gold medalist also shared a photo of herself and her five teammates in their Team USA coats. She captioned the post, "LET THE GAMES BEGIN."
This year's Olympic Games will take place from July 23 through August 8. The events will be strictly monitored and regulated as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to rage on in Japan. The country is currently in a state of emergency after an uptick in coronavirus cases in the weeks leading up. No spectators will be allowed in the venues and gatherings amongst the athletes in the Olympic Village have been discouraged