Georgian athletes have their accreditation revoked for ‘sightseeing’



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Two Georgian athletes had their accreditation withdrawn from the Tokyo Olympics after they were spotted leaving the athletes’ village to visit friends in Japan.

Organizers of the Olympics said on Saturday they revoked the accreditation of those linked to the Games for leaving the athletes’ village for sightseeing, in violation of measures imposed to hold the Olympics safely. in the midst of the pandemic. Later, the Georgian Olympic Committee confirmed that two of its athletes – who had already completed their events – had left the Olympic venue.

The athletes have since returned home, following the organizers’ rules that athletes must return to their home country within 48 hours of participating in their final event.

A Georgian official told AFP news agency that the two athletes are judo silver medalists Vazha Margvelashvili, 27, and Lasha Shavdatuashvili, 29.

“No one stopped them on the way out, so they thought they could go out. They just wanted to have some fresh air, to relax after a hard day of competition, after a hard period of confinement,” said the responsible.

Tokyo 2020 spokesperson Masa Takaya said: “We have withdrawn the accreditation because we believe that going out of the Athletes’ Village for sightseeing is something that should not happen.”

Reuters information contributed to this report.

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