The Olympic Games in the Japanese capital will start on July 23.
The White House announced on Tuesday that First Lady Jill Biden will lead the official US delegation to the Olympic Games, which will begin in Tokyo on July 23. President Joe Biden will not accompany the delegation.
The news that the first lady will lead the delegation appeared a few days after the Tokyo authorities, after consulting with the leadership of the International Olympic Committee, decided to hold the Olympic Games without the participation of fans. This is due to the fact that the Japanese government recently declared a state of emergency in Tokyo and the surrounding area due to a surge in COVID-19 cases.
White House press Secretary Jen Psaki told reporters at a press briefing that a White House delegation has already traveled to Tokyo to assess the possibility of a visit by Jill Biden. Last week, Psaki said that despite the increase in the number of cases of coronavirus, the president still supports American athletes who are going to take part in competitions.
This visit will be the first solo trip of the first lady abroad since President Biden took office. Earlier, Jill Biden accompanied the president on his trip to the UK for the G-7 leaders ‘ summit, and in recent months has conducted many domestic trips as part of the administration’s campaign to step up vaccination.
