The USOPC announced yesterday that all athletes and staff who use its training facilities must be fully inoculated or show proof of exemption by November 1 with the entire delegation heading to the Chinese capital given a deadline of December 1.

Hirshland said the USOPC’s "long-term" COVID-19 approach had received "strong support" with "endorsements" from its Athletes’ Advisory Council and National Governing Bodies Council.

"From the start of the pandemic, we have made science-based, data-driven decisions and we have really looked to our incredible medical team and public health professionals to guide our work to ensure health and safety in our community," said Hirshland.

"It is through this guidance that we have made the decision to implement the long-term COVID mitigation approach of requiring all USOPC employees, athletes and those utilising our facilities, including the training centres, to be fully vaccinated against COVID, starting November 1.

"This requirement will also apply to our full Team USA delegation at future Olympic and Paralympic Games, beginning with Beijing.

"This step will increase our ability to create a safe and productive environment and allow us to restore consistency in our planning and preparation and service to athletes.

"That’s a strength we will rely on as we navigate the complexities of the Games ahead."

The USOPC did not require vaccines for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games - postponed by a year because of the coronavirus pandemic - but 83 per cent of the 613-strong US team were fully vaccinated for the event.

Hirshland confirmed that "less than one half of a per cent" of its delegation at Tokyo 2020 had tested positive for COVID-19, including world pole vault champion Sam Kendricks and gymnast Kara Eaker.

But with around 300 athletes expected to represent the US at Beijing 2022, Hirshland believes being fully vaccinated will mean they are "markedly less likely" to contract the coronavirus.

"Every opportunity we have to keep athletes in competition and support staff in their roles as opposed to isolation or quarantine is a step forward for Team USA in a Games environment," said Hirshland.

"Our goal is to minimise the time spent in quarantine or isolation and maximise the time spent doing what we are here to do.

"Every opportunity we have to have someone vaccinated they are markedly less likely to test positive whether symptomatic or not.

"Therefore, our chances of keeping people in play go way, way up.

"I don’t think there is any way to prevent the science of contact tracing in terms of having someone test positive and then be a close contact.

"But the fewer people that test positive, the greater the chances are of reducing contact tracing.

"Clearly to the extent that we can maintain the US delegation in its own bubble environment the more we can control those variables."

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has not indicated vaccination will be mandatory at Beijing 2022 but will offer jabs to athletes who are set to compete at the Winter Olympic Games under a similar programme to the one in place for Tokyo 2020.

Writing in a letter to the Olympic Movement, IOC President Thomas Bach recently claimed the body and Beijing 2022 organisers were "sparing no effort to make these Olympic Winter Games safe and secure for everyone".

The first Beijing 2022 playbook - the rules all Olympic participants will have to adhere to during the Games - is set to be published next month.

"I can’t speculate on the decisions that they [the IOC, Beijing 2022 and Chinese Government] might make but there is a very real and active effort to continue to provide vaccines to all those who would be participating in those Games," added Hirshland.

"That is a consideration we are enormously supportive of and doing everything we can to support the vaccination of the individuals."