Pallister tests positive for COVID, to miss 1,500m freestyle

Lani Pallister, a 22-year-old athlete from Australia and a strong contender in the women's 1,500 metres freestyle, has officially withdrawn from the event after receiving a positive COVID-19 test result at the Paris Olympics, as announced by the team on Tuesday.

A spokesperson for the team indicated that this decision was made to conserve Pallister's energy for the upcoming 4x200m freestyle relay, scheduled to take place on Thursday.

The heats for the 1,500m event are set to commence on Tuesday morning at La Defense Arena.

Pallister previously secured a bronze medal in the 1,500m freestyle at the 2022 World Championships held in Budapest and was part of the Australian team that won the world title in the 4x200m freestyle at Fukuoka last year.

Additionally, she is slated to compete in the 800m freestyle event in Paris, which begins on Friday.

Pallister's situation follows the earlier announcement that British swimmer Adam Peaty tested positive for COVID-19 on Monday, shortly after he was unable to secure a third consecutive gold medal in the men's 100m breaststroke.

In the days leading up to the opening ceremony, several Australian women's water polo players also tested positive for COVID-19, necessitating their isolation from the rest of the team.

The Paris Olympics are being conducted without stringent COVID-19 health measures, a notable change from the previous Summer Games in Tokyo, where attendance was limited for fans.