Flag bearers Kirsten Andrea Fisher-Marsters and Wesley Tikiariki Roberts of Team Cook Islands during the Opening Ceremony of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games
The athletes will spend a further two weeks in isolation.
Clive Rose/Getty Images
  • An Olympic delegation from the tiny island nation of the Cook Islands has only just gotten home.
  • The team left Japan in early August but got stuck in New Zealand when the city of Auckland went into lockdown.
  • Having finally gotten back home, the delegation will have to quarantine for another two weeks.

Olympians from the tiny island nation of the Cook Islands have only just made it home from the Tokyo Olympics following a lockdown and quarantine nightmare.

They left their homes for the games 13 weeks ago, but after the festivities ended in the second week of August were forced to isolate for two weeks when they stopped off in Christchurch, New Zealand on the way home.

After moving on to Auckland, they then got stuck in the city after it went into a two-month lockdown.

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Arden
New Zealand has imposed some of the strictest lockdown measures.
Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images

With the lockdown partially lifted, the stranded Olympians were able to get off the New Zealand mainland and back to their home islands, which are a self-governing chain of 15 islands closely linked to New Zealand.

Despite finally making it back home, the Olympians and the country's Olympic president, Hugh Graham, will have to quarantine for a further two weeks.

"Some days were good, some days I struggled with being on my own," Graham said as reported by Cook Islands News.

"I also want to say a big A1 meitaki [a Cook Islander phrase meaning everything is good, well, OK and thank you all in one] to the many community services that provided assistance in many ways for our members of Team Cook Islands and those of us stranded here in New Zealand.

Rarotonga island
Rarotonga, the largest of the Cook Islands which are located in the South Pacific.
Stas Kulesh/Getty Images

"In terms of spending another 14 days in MIQ [Managed Isolation and Quarantine], if I can get through 14 days MIQ in Christchurch then eight weeks in lockdown, I can handle it.

"At least it will be 14 days back home."

The Cook Islands sent six athletes to the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, but did not win a medal. The country has never won a medal having first competed in the 1988 games in Seoul.

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