Ryo Kiyuna, the favorite to win men's kata gold when karate makes its Olympic debut at the Tokyo Games, has contracted the coronavirus, his master said Saturday.
The 30-year-old three-time reigning world champion recorded a fever of 38 on Friday morning, Tsuguo Sakumoto said, adding that Kiyuna is now recovering at home without any severe symptoms and has an appetite.
Kiyuna won a record ninth straight national championship on Sunday in Tokyo and returned to his native Okinawa Prefecture the following day.
Kiyuna trained two hours each day from Tuesday through Thursday at a dojo in Naha. Sakumoto and his fellow pupils from the dojo are currently self-quarantining at home while the local health authority looks to identify those who had close contact with Kiyuna.
Kiyuna's next tournament appearance is scheduled around March.
Competitors in karate's kata discipline try to advance through a tournament in which they are scored by judges for demonstrating choreographed sequences of techniques.