Women's beach volleyball match cancelled in Tokyo, Japan

Tokyo 2020 Olympics - Beach Volleyball - Women - Pool F - Japan (Ishii/Murakami) v Czech Republic (Hermannova/Slukova) - Shiokaze Park, Tokyo, Japan - July 24, 2021. [REUTERS/John Sibley]

Japan's Miki Ishii and Megumi Murakami won the first women's match of the beach volleyball tournament at the Tokyo Olympics by default after their Czech opponents withdrew due to Covid-19.

Marketa Nausch-Slukova tested positive earlier this week, forcing her and partner Barbora Hermannova to pull out and hand the hosts a 2-0 victory.

Six members of the Czech Olympic team have tested positive so far and the country's Olympic Committee had launched an investigation into a charter flight bringing athletes to Tokyo.

Slukova, who finished fifth at the London Olympics in 2012, and Hermannova are the world's 16th ranked pair.

Slukova's husband and coach Simon Nausch, and men's beach volleyball player Ondrej Perusic, have also tested positive. 

By Ochieng Oyugi 18 mins ago
Athletics
Bednarek confident ahead of showdown with Omanyala
Athletics
Time for world beaters to show their supremacy at Kip Keino Classic
Athletics
Nowicki to use Kip Keino Classic to prepare for Olympics
By AFP 7 hrs ago
Athletics
Beijing half marathon runners stripped of medals after controversial finish