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The entire Spanish cycling team has been cleared for the men's road race hours before the start, ending a stressful period of limbo following a positive COVID-19 test involving a team masseuse.
Alejandro Valverde, Gorka Izagirre, Ion Izagirre, Omar Fraile and Jesus Herrada were considered close contacts of the masseuse, but all returned negative test results that allowed them to make the start at Musashinonomori Park on Saturday.
Spain has one of the strongest teams in the men's road race, which will finish at Fuji International Speedway. Valverde, Fraile and Ion Izagirre in particular have skillsets that are perfectly suited for the mountainous course.
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The very first match of the Olympic
https://apnews.com/article/2020-tokyo-olympics-sports-coronavirus-pandemic-canada-olympic-team-argentina-olympic-team-b11ab1500fd11f2386f8fed3b9b08d3b because a Czech player tested positive for COVID-19.
Markéta Sluková tested positive earlier this week, knocking her and partner Barbora Hermannova out of the Tokyo Games.
The Czechs were supposed to be playing a team from the host country that would have been making its Olympic debut. Instead, the Japanese pair of Megumi Murakami and Miki Ishii earned the victory by default.
Sluková is one of at least three members of the Czech team who have tested positive since their arrival in Japan, including men's beach volleyball player Ondřej Perušič.
The team has said it's investigating if the outbreak of COVID-19 is linked to its charter flight to Tokyo.