Australian swimming has been dealt a major blow with the withdrawal of Lani Pallister from the women's 1500m freestyle at the Paris Olympics due to a positive COVID-19 test.
Australian swimmer Lani Pallister catches virus
The 22-year-old, considered a strong medal contender after her third-place finish at the 2022 world championships, has been forced to pull out of the competition. This is the second case of COVID-19 reported at the Paris Olympics, following British swimmer Adam Peaty.
“She has tested positive for Covid and has made the decision to save her energy for the 4x200m freestyle relay on Thursday,” the Australian Olympic Committee announced.
Pallister's Olympic campaign in jeopardy
Lani Pallister's Olympic campaign is in doubt after testing positive for COVID-19. The 22-year-old was scheduled to compete in the 800m freestyle on Saturday but her participation is now uncertain. Her withdrawal from the 1500m freestyle heats, which took place at the La Defense Arena, highlights the challenges faced by athletes amid the ongoing pandemic.
Lani Pallister's Olympic Hopes Dashed
In a bid to focus on her strongest event, Lani Pallister withdrew from the 400m freestyle, a race ultimately won by her teammate Ariarne Titmus. The decision proved to be a difficult one for the 22-year-old, who was aiming for a strong showing in the 1500m freestyle but has now been sidelined due to a positive COVID-19 test. Pallister had shown exceptional talent in the past, becoming the first female swimmer to capture three freestyle gold medals at a single short-course world championships, sweeping the 400m, 800m, and 1500m distances.
Adam Peaty too tested positive for Covid-19
However, this was not the first case of Covid-19 in the ongoing Paris Olympics. Earlier on Monday, July 29, British swimming star Adam Peaty had tested positive for COVID-19, just a day after narrowly missing out on gold in the 100-meter breaststroke final. The reigning Olympic champion, who was aiming for a historic three-peat, woke up with a sore throat on the morning of the race. He ultimately shared the silver medal with American Nic Fink after finishing just 0.02 seconds behind Italy's Nicolo Martinenghi. Despite the diagnosis, Peaty is not required to isolate and can still compete in the remaining swimming events. However, he will minimise contact with others to reduce the risk of spreading the virus. Team GB remains hopeful that Peaty will be able to compete in the relay events later in the competition.
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