COVID-19 hangs over the Olympics like a dark cloud as multiple athletes test positive

PARIS >> Three years after the Tokyo Olympics were held with strict precautions and without fans due to the global COVID-19 pandemic, the virus has forced athletes to withdraw from events and prompted others to wear masks again at the Paris Games.

Several athletes have tested positive, including Australian swimmer Lani Pallister who had a medal hope in the women’s 1500m freestyle but had to withdraw from the event. Pallister has been instructed to isolate in her room.

A team spokeswoman said the decision was made to conserve Pallister’s energy for the 4x200m freestyle relay that begins on Thursday.

British swimmer Adam Peaty tested positive a day after narrowly missing out on gold in the 100m breaststroke, sharing silver with American Nic Fink.

“I will now focus on a quick and full recovery so I can put my best foot forward in the team relays later in the week,” the 29-year-old Peaty posted on Instagram.

“Adam is fine, he’s not going to die. He’s fine, just a little bit of a cold. We’ll try to avoid it as best we can,” Peaty’s British team-mate Matt Richards said after his 100m freestyle heat on Tuesday morning. “We’re here to race. If we get a little bit sick during the race, we’ll keep racing. That’s how we do it.”

Several Australian water polo players tested positive for COVID-19 in the run-up to the opening ceremony, forcing them to isolate from other team members.

The Tokyo Olympics were postponed for a year due to COVID-19, while the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing were held under strict precautions, making Paris the first post-pandemic Olympics. There are no strict protocols or restrictions around COVID-19 in Paris.

“We have a protocol that requires any athlete who has tested positive to wear a mask and we remind everyone to follow best practices, but in terms of monitoring COVID, cases in France are quite low,” said Anne Descamps, Paris 2024 chief communications officer.

British swimmer Jacob Whittle said his team is nevertheless taking increased precautions.

“We’re sanitizing our hands and wearing a mask everywhere we can,” Whittle said. “When we’re swimming and doing stuff like this (talking to reporters) are the only times we’re not wearing a mask.”

“It’s just being extra careful when eating and on the bus or in public places, you really have to be aware that you don’t get it and if you do have it, don’t pass it on to anyone else. Just being really careful.”

Team Canada Chief Medical Officer Mike Wilkinson said his team continued to implement “many of the infection prevention protocols that have proven successful during the COVID pandemic, including hand washing, sanitizing and good hygiene practices.”

“We also have a team disinfecting shared spaces throughout the day, and isolation protocols for anyone who gets sick,” he said.

Additional reporting by Ian Ransom, Alan Baldwin and Julien Pretot.