The organizers of this summer's Tokyo Olympics plan to require athletes to acknowledge that they may face health risks or death caused by coronavirus infections and intense summer heat if they compete in the games, a document detailing conditions for participation showed Friday.
The International Olympic Committee has included such risks in a waiver that must be signed by athletes, stipulating that they take part in the games at their "own responsibility," according to a copy seen by Kyodo News.
The waiver is unusual as the IOC did not specifically mention such risks in the waivers for the Summer and Winter Games held since at least 2008, even though some took place amid fears of infectious diseases and air pollution.