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Rob Waddell: Fears of Covid outbreak in Olympics came to nothing

Author
Newstalk ZB,
Publish Date
Mon, 9 Aug 2021, 11:17AM
New Zealand team chef de mission Rob Waddell. (Photo / File)
New Zealand team chef de mission Rob Waddell. (Photo / File)

Rob Waddell: Fears of Covid outbreak in Olympics came to nothing

Author
Newstalk ZB,
Publish Date
Mon, 9 Aug 2021, 11:17AM

Tokyo has overcome the odds to safely host an Olympic Games during the midst of a pandemic.

The Games officially ended overnight with Dame Valerie Adams carrying the New Zealand flag in the closing ceremony.

New Zealand comes home with 20 medals, making this our most successful Olympics ever.

About 430 officials and athletes accredited with the games have contracted Covid-19 during the event.

But New Zealand's Chef de Mission in Tokyo, Rob Waddell, told Mike Hosking fears of a larger outbreak have thankfully come to nothing.

"There's been a massive group of people, some 15,000 athletes, coaches, managers come together in a very small part of Tokyo and follow strict countermeasures that were put in place and, touch wood, I don't think there's been any community transmission."

Waddell said the Games went as well as they could have under the circumstances.

Jacinda Ardern says she'd be keen to see "some kind of celebration" for New Zealand's Olympians and Paralympians, when they are all back and out of MIQ in October.

 

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