In tragic Olympic Games news, the Australian Olympic Team announced that swimming superstar Lani Pallister has withdrawn from the Women’s 1500m Freestyle heats after testing positive for COVID-19.
In a statement to X (formerly Twitter), Team Australia for Paris 2024 shared that the 22-year-old has backed out of the highly-anticipated race to preserve her energy for the Women’s 4×200 Freestyle race, which is set to take place on 1 August (AEST).
“Lani Pallister has withdrawn from the Women’s 1500m Freestyle. She has tested positive for COVID-19 and has made the decision to save her energy for the 4x200m Freestyle relay on Thursday 31 August,” the statement reads.
As a result, the only Aussie who will be gunning for gold in this category will be Moesha Johnson, who will be swimming up a storm in the second heat.
What makes the news even more devastating is that the 1500m Freestyle heat would’ve been Pallister’s Olympic Debut.
Thankfully, Pallister will be given the opportunity to spotlight her talents in the upcoming relay, as well as the 800m Freestyle on Friday, 2 August.
This isn’t the first time Team Australia has been rocked by COVID-19.
A day before the Olympic Games Paris 2024 officially kicked off, five players on Australia’s Women’s water polo team tested positive for the virus.
Per The Guardian Australia, Chef de Mission Anna Meares said that Team Australia was “taking a different approach” to COVID-19 in comparison to the Tokyo Olympics.
“This is a high-performance environment, so we are being diligent,” Meares said.
“But I need to emphasise we’re treating Covid no differently to other bugs like the flu – this is not Tokyo.”
From shitty cardboard beds to vegan meals and now COVID-19 — I’m truly wishing a speedy recovery to everyone who has been impacted.
Image source: Getty Images / Quinn Rooney
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