Questions abound, all that the U.S. Olympic contingent can do is push on

Susanne Lyons has grown used to the emotional whiplash. While the chairwoman of the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) is always happy to hear optimistic news regarding this summer's Tokyo Olympics, she knows the reports can quickly turn dark.

It happened again just last week. On Wednesday, 12 days after the Olympic torch relay got off to a joyous start, the route was changed because of an increase in COVID-19 cases in the prefecture of Osaka. And on Friday, Tokyo reinstituted virus prevention measures in response to rising cases, only three weeks after lifting a state of emergency.

"The preparation for these Games has been a little bit like Sisyphus rolling the boulder up the mountain," Lyons said. "Every time you think you're kind of there, it comes back down again. And you keep pushing."

With 103 days until the Games are scheduled to begin, that's become the motto of U.S. Olympic officials and athletes. After a year of wondering and worrying whether the pandemic-delayed event will go on, all they can do is keep pushing forward.

At a virtual media event last week, Lyons and other USOPC officials outlined steps they are taking toward an Olympics shadowed by COVID. They are not mandating that athletes be vaccinated, but they are recommending it. They have adjusted protocols at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs to try to avoid shutdowns, after previous closures interrupted athletes' training. A logistics team is planning everything from pre-Games testing to travel procedures.

Lyons said the USOPC is trying to ease athletes' anxiety about the Games, allowing them to devote all their energy to training.

"I tweeted yesterday that every time 'Tokyo Olympics' is trending, my heart drops, just because I don't know what it's going to be," said gymnast Simone Biles, who won five medals at the 2016 Rio Olympics.

"But I feel very confident it's going to happen, and it's going to be a good Games."

The U.S. is expected to send about 600 athletes to the Tokyo Games, with most of those yet to be selected. Three Minnesotans — climber Kyra Condie of Shoreview, wrestler Gable Steveson of Apple Valley and sailor Lara Dallman-Weiss of Shoreview — have already qualified.

Domestic and international competition in most sports is resuming, with strict safety protocols. The TYR Pro Swim Series, used by elite swimmers to prepare for the Olympic trials in June, just completed its third meet. USA Wrestling held its Olympic trials in Fort Worth, Texas, a week ago, and the final Olympic qualifier for diving was just rescheduled for early May in Tokyo.

As vaccines become more widely available, more athletes are getting their shots. Many who spoke at the virtual media event said they already were vaccinated or had appointments lined up, taking care to schedule them so any side effects would not interfere with competitions or important training periods.

"I usually don't like to get yearly flu shots," rower Kara Kohler said. "But it seems like I'll be getting this one, just because I don't want to take the risk of getting coronavirus. Quite a few girls on my team have had it, and they were out for a long time. I don't want to risk not being able to race."

Concerns about the Games aren't likely to fade soon. The vaccine rollout has been slow in Japan, and the infection spike in Osaka has raised fears that other parts of the country also could see increased COVID cases. Last month the International Olympic Committee and the Tokyo organizing committee announced that spectators from overseas would not be allowed at the Games.

USOPC officials said they will continue to adjust and refine their plans as conditions change. Though the boulder is heavy and the mountain high, Lyons said no one is ready to quit pushing.

"At this point in time, we do not see anything that says there's any reason to think we cannot keep going forward," she said. "We're realists. We understand the health situation in the world is not in anyone's control. But we still believe this can be responsibly and safely accomplished."