The COVIDLympics, Day -4: Do we really HAVE TO? How many more cases is it going to take?

• A single alternate gymnast from the USA women's team has tested positive for COVID while in the training camp in Japan.  A second alternate has been placed in contact tracing.  None of the main team, as of the moment, are impacted.  Team USA did not release the name of either alternate (probably HIPAA considerations), but the team has four 17-18 year old alternates on the squad.
• It has apparently been publicized by her local coach:  It's Kara Eaker.
• This is in addition to a "false positive" on the team over the weekend.  At least the entire main team is vaccinated.
• A Czech Republic beach volleyball player has also tested positive for COVID.
• This, on top of 33 new Olympic-associated positives just Monday (JST).
• The third South African reported positive was a video analyst for the men's soccer team.
• However, over 30 people have now been identified as close contacts in the South African program to the three positives already given.
• And Zach Levine of the USA men's basketball team has to remain in the United States on COVID protocols.  He may be able to rejoin the team for the tournament.
• The USA women's 3 on 3 basketball team has taken a hit.  Katie Lou Samuelson, positive for the coronavirus while in Las Vegas, out of the Olympics.
• If this isn't enough, the first heat-stroke alert of the year has gone out in Tokyo, meaning all, including athletes, need to ensure they have enough hydration, etc.
• As a result, Ralph Lauren, the creator of the US uniforms, has made special cooling units in the USA outfits (at least for the flag bearers) for the Opening Ceremony.
• Another black eye for the Opening Ceremony on Friday:  One of the composers for the event, Keigo Oyamada, has been cancelled from the event -- fired/forced to resign because of surfacing posts in the past where he stated he was proud of bullying children with disabilities in interviews in 1994 and 1995.
• The Creative Director of the Olympic Games suffered a similar fate in March when he had the gall to tell a plus-sized Japanese actress she should don a pig suit for the event and be promoted as the "Olympig".
• This on top of a former Japanese Prime Minister fired/forced to quit as head of the Organizing Committee in February for misogynist comments.
• And I want to note something right here:  I have only had very limited want, to this point, of accessing my favorite "behind the scenes" Olympic blog - most of what you've seen the last couple weeks is either out front in American media or easily accessible by Reddit.  
• Last week, it was reported that Alexandr Kudashev and Veronika Andrusenko were suspended from the Games for drug use.  They have been overturned by the Court of Arbitration for Sport.  They will be allowed to compete in Tokyo.  They had been suspended due to materials submitted to FINA on the pair -- but the CAS ruled FINA did not actually prove that the materials, in either drug use or evading tests, constituted a bannable offense.
• The NHL will tailor it's schedule with an Olympic break next season, to account for if the Beijing Winter Games of 2022 go on.
• Keith Olbermann, after calling for unvaccinated athletes to be removed from the Tokyo Games last week, now is simply calling for their complete cancellation after the Eaker announcement this morning.