Coronavirus concerns cannot douse Olympic flame for South Coast athletes

The news was soon confirmed, Alex de Minaur's Games were over before they had begun.

It's likely he won't be the last Australian to test positive, with the virus set to dominate the next few weeks.

Already, multiple cases have been reported by other nations within Japan and the Games are still a week away.

Some, like Gerroa's Sally Fitzgibbons are apprehensive about travelling to Japan in the midst of a pandemic.

The bulk of the Illawarra's athletes, however, are confident the IOC's biosecurity protocols will keep them safe.

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"I'm fully vaccinated, that definitely eased my mind a lot," middle-distance star Jessica Hull said.

"We're still being careful, we are wearing a mask everywhere.

"For me, living in Oregon, they're very strict.

"You have to wear a mask or there's no entry.

"I don't think that will change in the village.

"It will pretty much be wear a mask unless you're sleeping.

"We want big championships and Olympics, these are small sacrifices we have to make to get there and have an Olympics this year."

While the past 18 months have marked the first time many athletes have encountered public health rules, it's a different story for Berry's Shane Rose.

Quarantine periods and biosecurity restrictions are just another part of competition for the equestrian athlete, with horses required to meet strict government regulations as they travel from country to country.

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For Rose, the process to prepare for Tokyo has been similar to other international events, their animals forced to complete a pre-export quarantine period before being permitted to fly to Japan.

"Following biosecurity regulations isn't such an issue for us, we've been doing it for years," Rose said.

"Transporting the horses is the easy part for us ... two weeks of hotel quarantine when we get back might be a challenge.

"Health and safety is always a big thing, obviously we're in a COVID environment and we can only do what we need to do.

"If we look after ourselves and follow the measures, I'm sure there are good protocols to keep everyone safe."

While most athletes have no concerns about travelling to Tokyo, some have questioned what happens once they've finished competing.

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The Olympians will return from Japan as soon as possible then complete two weeks of hotel quarantine upon arrival.

Athletes will be split between hotels in Sydney and Brisbane and the Northern Territory's Howard Springs Facility.

Reports suggest the Darwin site is the most comfortable of the three options.

There's no doubt the next few weeks will be dominated by coronavirus.

But for all the challenges athletes have had to overcome to get to Japan, the health risks they face in Tokyo and the boredom of two weeks' hotel quarantine upon returning home, they all agree on one thing.

The sacrifice is worth it.

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