Olympic athletes are not allowed to see any other sport on site during the Games, according to the extensive corona regulations that prevail in Tokyo.
Still, Daniel Ståhl and Simon Pettersson - who took gold and silver respectively in the discus competition - sat in the stands in the Yoyogi arena on Sunday night.
There they saw when the Swedish men's national handball team defeated Denmark (33-30).
They also went in the player bus and got to be inside the Swedish locker room and celebrate the victory.
"Do not repeat"
A violation of the regulations, states Peter Reinebo, who is head of operations at the Swedish Olympic Committee (SOK).
- It has been clear from Tokyo 2020 and from the IOC from the beginning, that active people and leaders who are accredited to a sport can watch that sport but unfortunately not other sports due to covid.
These are the rules, and not obeying it is sad, of course, Reinebo tells TT.
He has been in contact with the handball team.
- They have said that they will observe it in the future and that it will not be repeated, he says.
The national handball team had ensured that Ståhl and Petterson were part of the Swedish squad before the match.
- We saw it as a way for them to see a little handball and they raised the mood there after the match above all, says Daniel Vandor, press manager for the national handball team.
Contacted SOK in advance
When Vandor hears that Reinebo is critical of the national team's coup, he becomes remorseful.
- It is clear that we must respect what he says and it is he who is responsible to the IOC.
If they feel that it was not good, then it is not good, of course, says Vandor.
Daniel Vandor says that the national handball team received the go-ahead from SOK's press department to bring in the discus throwers.
- We took it partly with (national team captain) Glenn Solberg first, who gave the go-ahead, and then we talked to SOK and our doctor, who had to make that assessment covid-wise.
- They have been in the same bubble here in the Olympic village, we have hung out in the Swedish camp, they have been tested every day, we have been tested every day.
We had a dialogue with the athletics national captain as well and they would leave here at five this morning, so we knew they would not meet anyone else in the athletics squad, says Vandor.
Anyone who violates the corona regulations risks losing their accreditation.
It recently hit two judokas from Georgia who left the Olympic Village to join a sightseeing tour.