Olympics-South Australia stands firm on double quarantine for returning Olympians

FILE PHOTO: Members of Australian team wait to take the quantitative coronavirus disease (COVID-19) antigen test after arriving at Narita International Airport ahead of Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, in Narita, east of Tokyo, Japan July 17, 2021. REUTERS/Issei Kato

SYDNEY (Reuters) - South Australia's government on Thursday said it would not back down on its requirement for 16 Olympians returning from Tokyo via Sydney to quarantine for a total of 28 days, a ruling the Australian Olympic Committee has described as "cruel".

The athletes were expecting to quarantine for 14 days, as all those arriving in Australia from overseas must, but the extra fortnight is a South Australia requirement for recent visitors to Sydney.