An American swimmer who refused to be vaccinated before the Olympics could get thrown out of the Tokyo Games for flouting strict COVID-19 regulations. Michael Andrew did not wear a mask when he spoke to reporters in the mixed zone after an individual medley race on Friday—despite clear rules that swimmers should be masked at all times except when they’re in the water or being photographed on the podium. The 22-year-old told USA Today it was “pretty hard to breathe in after kind of sacrificing my body in the water” and added, “I’ll throw it on when I’m done here.” The USOPC described Andrew’s action as a violation of COVID-19 protocols and said it would "take action as needed.”

The controversy came as the Japanese government extended a coronavirus state of emergency, which already covers Tokyo, to four more areas after a record spike in infections.