admin Three years after the Tokyo Olympics were held with strict precautions and without fans due to the global COVID-19 pandemic, the virus has now caused athletes to withdraw from events and others to don masks again at the Paris Games.
Several athletes have tested positive, including Australian swimmer Lani Pallister, who was a medal prospect in the women’s 1,500 metres freestyle but has been forced to withdraw from the event. Pallister has been advised to isolate her room.
A team spokeswoman stated that the decision was made to conserve Pallister’s energy for the 4x200m freestyle relay, which starts on Thursday.
British swimmer Adam Peaty tested positive a day after narrowly missing out on the 100 metres breaststroke gold, sharing silver with American Nic Fink.
“I’ll now be focusing on a fast, full recovery to give my best in the team relays later in the week,” the 29-year-old Peaty posted on Instagram.
“Adam’s okay, he’s not dying. He’s alright, just a bit of a cold. We’ll avoid it as best we can,” Peaty’s British teammate Matt Richards said after his 100m freestyle heat on Tuesday morning. “We’re here to race. If we get a little bit ill whilst we’re racing we’ll keep racing. It’s how we do it.”
Several Australian women’s water polo players tested positive for COVID-19 in the days leading up to the opening ceremony, necessitating their isolation from other team members.
The Tokyo Olympics were postponed by a year due to COVID-19, and the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics were conducted under strict precautions, making Paris the first Olympics held without such stringent measures. There are currently no strict COVID-19 protocols or restrictions in place in Paris.
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