The Australian Olympic team’s medical director has flagged concerns over the threat of the coronavirus in preparing for and competing in the Tokyo Games in July.

Dr David Hughes said that while coronavirus was a “significant challenge”, preparations were continuing on the basis the Games would go ahead as planned and contingency plans were underway to find safe places for athletes to prepare.

“All sports now will be looking at pre-Tokyo preparation and ensuring that they do their training in a place that doesn’t have active transmission for the coronavirus,” Dr Hughes told The Sydney Morning Herald.

“That in itself could become more difficult. We are seeing local transmission starting to occur in quite a few places.”