COVID-19 hits Paris Olympics: Athletes forced to withdraw and mask up

Three years aft nan Tokyo Olympics were held amid strict precautions and pinch nary fans because of nan global COVID-19 pandemic, nan microorganism has forced athletes to retreat from events and has others donning masks erstwhile again astatine nan Paris Games.

Several athletes person tested positive, including Australian swimmer Lani Pallister who was a badge dream successful nan women’s 1,500 metres freestyle but had to retreat from nan event. Pallister has been instructed to isolate successful her room.

A squad spokeswoman said nan determination had been made to prevention Pallister’s power for nan 4x200m freestyle relay which starts connected Thursday.

British swimmer Adam Peaty tested affirmative a time aft he narrowly missed retired connected 100 metres breaststroke gold, sharing metallic pinch American Nic Fink.

“I’ll now beryllium focusing connected a fast, afloat betterment to springiness my champion successful nan squad relays later successful nan week,” nan 29-year-old Peaty posted connected Instagram.

“Adam’s okay, he’s not dying. He’s alright, conscionable a spot of a cold. We’ll debar it arsenic champion we can,” Peaty’s British teammate Matt Richards said aft his 100m freestyle power connected Tuesday morning. “We’re present to race. If we get a small spot sick whilst we’re racing we’ll support racing. It’s really we do it.”

Several Australian women’s h2o polo players tested affirmative for COVID-19 successful nan days starring up to nan opening ceremony, forcing them to isolate from different squad members.

The Tokyo Olympics were delayed a twelvemonth owed to COVID-19 while nan 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics were held nether strict precautions, making Paris nan first post-pandemic Olympics. There are nary strict protocols aliases restrictions around COVID-19 successful Paris.

“We person a protocol (that) immoderate jock that has tested affirmative has to deterioration a disguise and we punctual everyone to travel champion practices but successful position of monitoring COVID, cases are rather debased successful France,” said Anne Descamps, Paris 2024 main communications director.

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British swimmer Jacob Whittle said his squad was nevertheless getting much strict pinch nan precautions.

“We’re manus sanitizing and wearing masks everyplace we can,” Whittle said. “When we’re swimming and doing worldly for illustration this (speaking to reporters) are nan only times we’re not wearing a mask.”

“It’s conscionable being other cautious erstwhile eating and going connected buses and communal spaces, conscionable being really conscious arsenic to not drawback it and besides if you’ve sewage it not to springiness it to anyone else. Just being observant really.”

Team Canada’s main aesculapian serviceman Mike Wilkinson, said his squad “continued to instrumentality galore of nan infection prevention protocols that proved successful during the Covid pandemic including manus washing, sanitisation and bully hygiene practices”.

“We besides person a squad that disinfects shared spaces passim nan day, and isolation protocols for anyone who does get sick,” he said.