Ariarne Titmus misses key pre-Olympic meet after succumbing to illness .... but it’s not coronavirus
Her camp insists it’s not coronavirus but Ariarne Titmus is still among a host of high-profile swimmers to have withdrawn from a valuable Olympics lead-up in Sydney this weekend.
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Teenage world swimming champion Ariarne Titmus has pulled out of this weekend’s NSW State Open because of a mystery illness, though her coach said it’s not related to coronavirus.
Master trainer Dean Boxall withdrew his entire squad, including Dolphins Mitch Larkin, Clyde Lewis and Jack Cartwright, from the three-day meet at Sydney’s Olympic pool, which started on Friday, because they were feeling sick but said it was not related to the pandemic.
“The majority of our squad is unwell so following the directive of Swimming Australia not to travel, we decided it was in everyone’s best interest and to minimise any risk, to withdraw our squad from the NSW State Championships,“ Boxall said in a statement.
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“I stress this is not coronavirus it is purely precautionary.”
Missing the NSW State Open could however present some problems for Titmus – who faces an almighty challenge against American superstar Katie Ledecky for Olympic gold – because it could leave her short of quality racing as she prepares for Tokyo.
What was intended to be the first big warm-up meet for Australia’s Olympic hopefuls before Tokyo, the NSW State Open could well turn out to be the last for the foreseeable future if swimming events are cancelled to try and halt the spread of the deadly coronavirus.
The United States, China, Italy, Denmark, Norway and South Africa have all postponed major swimming competitions and it is expected Australia could soon follow suit with next month’s Australian championships and national age group titles already under review.
“We will continue to closely monitor the situation and we will provide an update on the status of the two events by Monday, with athlete welfare and safety at the forefront of our considerations,” Swimming Australia chief executive Leigh Russell said, adding the final decision on whether they go ahead will be based on the advice from government and health officials.
USA Swimming has already pulled the plug on all competitions for the next 30 days as American sport goes into full shutdown with a decision on the fate of Pro Swim Series in Mission Viejo, California expected within days.
The Pro Swim Series is a critical part of Australia’s preparations for Tokyo because it gives swimmers the chance to test themselves against the best Americans as well as a rare opportunity to practice competing in morning finals – the same format being used in Tokyo.
NSW head coach Ron McKeon told News Corp Australia the advice to worried swimmers was to continue focusing on their training before the Olympic trials, scheduled to take place in Adelaide in June, in the expectation that Tokyo will go ahead.
“There’s no half measures, you can’t half prepare with the thought of something either being on or not being on, you’ve just got to go full throttle as if it’s going to happen,” he said.
“So they’re staying in the present. We’ve still got a plan moving forward they’re getting good advice and the message is not to get ahead of yourself. ”
Originally published as Ariarne Titmus misses key pre-Olympic meet after succumbing to illness .... but it’s not coronavirus