Jill Biden to lead Team USA to Tokyo Olympics

The First Lady will go to Japan as the head of delegation for Team USA

US First Lady Jill Biden (POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

Jill Biden will attend the opening ceremony of the Tokyo Olympic as the head of the US delegation to Japan.

The White House confirmed the First Lady’s attendance at the games, which begin on 23 July, in an announcement on Tuesday.

It marks the second time Dr Biden has led Team USA to an Olympics having done so in 2010 along with her husband, then vice president, Joe Biden for the Winter games in Vancouver, Canada.

The first lady will travel alone to Japan with Team USA for the opening ceremony, after the White House confirmed last month that President Biden would not attend.

Jen Psaki, the White House press secretary, said last month that a delegation for Team USA would go instead, with speculation that Ms Biden would travel to Tokyo.

Her team told CNN last Thursday that an assessment was still being carried out on whether the first lady would travel to Tokyo, where a state of emergency has been announced because of a spike in Covid cases.

Organisers last week announced that spectators would be banned from almost all events in Tokyo, and in other locations outside of the host city, including at Fukushima, because of the infections.

"The president supports the Tokyo Olympic Games and the public health measures necessary to protect athletes, staff, and spectators,” Ms Psaki told reporters last week.

“He has pride in the US athletes who have trained for Tokyo Games and will be competing in the best traditions of the Olympic spirit.”