Three years after the Tokyo Olympics took place under stringent COVID-19 restrictions and without spectators, fears of the virus have reemerged at the Paris Games.
Several athletes have been forced to withdraw from events due to positive COVID-19 tests, leading some to resume wearing masks. However, the overall impact appears to be less severe than in previous years.
Among the affected athletes is Australian swimmer Lani Pallister, who had to withdraw from the women's 1500 metres freestyle. A team spokeswoman indicated that this decision was made to conserve Pallister’s energy for the 4x200m freestyle relay starting on Thursday.
British swimmer Adam Peaty also tested positive a day after narrowly missing out on gold in the 100m breaststroke, tying for silver with American Nic Fink. Peaty has announced his focus on a “fast, full recovery” to compete in relays later in the week.
Additionally, several Australian women’s water polo players tested positive for COVID-19 shortly before the opening ceremony, necessitating isolation from their teammates. Despite this setback, the team triumphed over Serbia with an 8-3 victory on Tuesday.
While the Tokyo Olympics were postponed by a year and the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics enforced strict COVID-19 measures, the Paris Games mark the first post-pandemic Olympics without strict protocols or restrictions.
(Reuters/NAN)
