Australian swimming legend Daybreak Fraser revealed on a podcast this week that at the least seven swimmers on the Australian staff examined constructive for COVID-19 through the first week of the Olympic Video games, which was stored underneath wraps by Australian officers.
Chatting with the Matty & The Missile podcast hosted by former rugby participant Matty Johns and three-time Olympic swimming medalist James Magnussen, Fraser lauded the staff’s efficiency despite the well being challenges.
“It has been completely implausible you realize, as a result of half of our swimmers acquired covid and it wasn’t identified to the media,” Fraser stated.
“They acquired covid the primary couple of days they have been within the village and we needed to put seven swimmers in lodges to maintain them away from it.”
Swimming officers say that swimmers have been remoted within the Athletes’ Village however not in exterior lodges.
“I actually take my hat off to a few of these younger individuals as a result of they actually acquired 1000 per cent. As a result of I knew a few of them had covid and it was spreading across the village like that. “They needed to transfer a few of our swimmers out and eliminate the paper mattress … simply loopy.”
Zac Stubblety-Cook dinner revealed that he examined constructive for COVID 4 days earlier than profitable a silver medal within the 200 breaststroke. He received gold in that occasion in 2020. He stated that he had a whole lot of fatigue and shortness of breath, however {that a} fast response and therapy by the Australian Olympic Committee medical employees reacted shortly to reduce the affect on his efficiency.
In line with the AAP, The AOC’s chief medical officer stated that they ran 84 PCR checks within the Athletes’ village and about half have been constructive for some respiratory sickness – together with COVID and Influenza A.
Lani Pallister additionally missed heats of the ladies’s 1500 free with COVID-19, although she was in a position to return to racing and win a gold medal as a part of Australia’s 800 free relay.
A number of different non-Australian swimmers additionally introduced constructive checks for COVID-19, together with 100 breaststroke silver medalist Adam Peaty, and People David Johnston, Luke Whitlock, and Blake Pieroni.
No less than 5 members of the Australian Olympic ladies’s water polo staff examined constructive for COVID earlier than the meet. Despite that, they completed atop Group A and earned a high seed into the knockout stage of the match, which begins on Tuesday.
There aren’t any common COVID protocols on the Paris Olympics and athletes should not required to overlook competitors after a constructive take a look at. Later within the meet, after quite a lot of constructive checks, extra athletes have been seen carrying masks within the prepared room earlier than their races.
Additionally on their podcast within the final week, Magnussen lamented the recruiting energy of Australian Guidelines Soccer and rugby taking the entire greatest male athletes away from the pool.
Take heed to the episode under.