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Tokyo Olympics: Australian Kookaburras in COVID-19 breach for beer run after securing silver medal

Headshot of Mitchell Woodcock
Mitchell WoodcockThe West Australian
The Australian team after winning silver yesterday.
Camera IconThe Australian team after winning silver yesterday. Credit: JOE GIDDENS/AAPIMAGE

Five members of Australia’s silver medal-winning team have been reprimanded by the Australian Olympic Committee after they broke COVID-19 protocols by leaving the Olympic village to buy beer in the early hours of Friday morning.

Australia’s chef de mission Ian Chesterman confirmed this afternoon that three members of the team left the room at about 3am to buy two cases of beer, leaving the village for about 20 minutes, in the wake of last night’s silver medal performance.

A second group left at about 6am but did not purchase anything, with all five players wearing masks, self-reporting this afternoon and testing negative after being put into isolation.

The breach came just hours after their heartbreaking shoot-out loss to Belgium in the gold medal match on Thursday night.

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He would also not name the players, saying he didn’t feel the need “to name and shame”.

“Their teammates know who they are and they have to face up to their teammates,” Chesterman said.

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It is not yet known how the athletes escaped the village despite the security in place to ensure there is a low risk of COVID-19 infection.

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Chesterman said there would be no further action taken considering the Kookaburras will be leaving the Tokyo on Saturday to return to Australia.

“There have been no concerns raised about how they conducted themselves while outside of the village or within the village, however, the players’ actions were a clear breach of the COVID-19 protocols in place for these Tokyo Olympic Games,” he said.

“I am deeply disappointed.

“While I understand the players’ disappointment following their loss in the gold medal match we have been abundantly clear about the expectations of this team while we’re in Tokyo. The rules are there to keep the team safe and for us to keep our commitment to the Games’ organisers and to the Japanese people.

“We have reprimanded them, isolated them in their rooms and they’re going home anyway.

“I believe at the moment that they’re feeling deep remorse that they’ve let their own teammates down... from our point of view there will be no further action taken.”

The Australian team after winning silver yesterday.
Camera IconThe Australian team after winning silver yesterday. Credit: JOE GIDDENS/AAPIMAGE

Coach Colin Batch said the players had “embarrassed” the Kookaburras and the Australian Olympic team.

He said it was “completely out of character for these players”.

“They did immediately apologise for their lack of thought and the impact it has had on the Australian team and Ian and the executive of the AOC,” Batch said.

Australian team medical director David Hughes classified the incident as “low risk”.

“These players are fully vaccinated, they’re tested everyday, they left the village for about 20 minutes and they didn’t interact with any others,” he said.

“It’s a very low risk in terms of any sort of infection risk to others but we’re taking all the precautions.”

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