Testing Times For Olympic Golden Boys Mack Horton And Kyle Chalmers Caught Up In COVID Lockdown

2021 OLY TRIALS Session 1 Mack Horton action
COVID ISOLATION: Olympic champion Mack Horton in camp isolation after Covid hot spot scare.Photo Courtesy Delly Carr (Swimming Australia).

Testing Times For Olympic Golden Boys Mack Horton And Kyle Chalmers Caught Up In COVID Lockdown

Swimming Australia has confirmed that members of its Olympic team, including Rio golden boys Kyle Chalmers and Mack Horton, “did not attend any high risk locations” during their visit to Magnetic Island, off Townsville last Sunday.

Every Australian State, barring South Australia, is waking up today in Covid lockdown – with Queensland – where the swimmers are all located – locked down until 6pm Friday.

Kyle Chalmers 3

LOCKEDAND LOADED: Olympic champion Kyle Chalmers caught in COVID Lockdown scare. Photo Courtesy: Delly Carr (Swimming Australia).

In a statement released overnight, Swimming Australia said: “ We (had) moved the large majority of our South East Queensland based athletes and coaches to Cairns on Monday night prior to the Queensland government lockdown announcement.

“Our athletes that have been based in Townsville have made their way to Cairns and will remain separate from the main group through the lockdown period announced for the region today.

“Members of the Townsville group attended Magnetic Island on Sunday June 27, but are considered low risk contacts.

“They did not attend any high risk locations during their visit. We will follow government health advice. They will all be tested immediately as per the advice for low risk contacts.

“All athletes will have access to training facilities during this time.”

The 35-strong Australian team were due to re-unite into Cairns by this Saturday, July 3 but have all now come into their Far North Queensland training bubble as they prepare for their Games departure – and their training base at Toobruk Pool.

Horton and his fellow Victorians, including Nunawading pair Brendan Smith and Matt Temple, were all forced to re-locate to the Gold Coast after Victoria’s snap lockdown two weeks prior to the Olympic Trials in Adelaide.

Meanwhile the 37th and final member of the swim team, 22-year-old marathon swimmer Kai Edwards, has been officially “baptised” by the Australian Olympic Team as a full fledged member of the 2020 Team.

Kai and Kareena

GOING THE DISTANCE: Kai Edwards (right) and Kareena Lee will represent Australia in Tokyo in the 10-km swim. Photo Courtesy: Delly Carr (Swimming Australia).

The Australian Olympic Committee selected Edwards to make his Olympic debut in the 10km Open Water Swim after he locked in qualification with a fifth place finish at the final Olympic Qualifying event in Setubal, Portugal last week.

Edwards joins fellow 10km teammate Kareena Lee, who was selected in October 2019 for the women’s 10km event, in the open water discipline, with today’s selection completing the full 37-strong Australian Olympic swimming team.

Full athlete bios available here

Edwards and Lee will compete in Tokyo’s Odaiba Marine Park with the backdrop of Tokyo’s cityscape throughout their 10km marathon swim.

Ian Chesterman, Chef de Mission for the Australian Olympic Team in Tokyo, welcomed today’s selection.

“Congratulations (to) Kai on making your first Australian Olympic Team,” Mr Chesterman said.

“Kai has shown he can perform when the pressure’s on, securing his spot for Tokyo with a top-5 finish at the last chance Olympic qualifier in Portugal. It was a huge effort after such a challenging time since the postponement of the Games.

“While Kai remains training in Europe before heading to Tokyo, I’m sure his family, friends, coaches and supporters are all celebrating back here in Australia today.”

The Gold Coast local said it feels amazing to make his first Olympic Team.

“You dedicate your life to a dream you have as a young kid and to make it a reality feels incredible,” Edwards said.

“You, your family, your partner, friends and coaches sacrifice so much to get to this point so I know I’m making the most of this opportunity.

“The qualifying race in Portugal was definitely testing, being quite a physically brutal race. Like any race regardless of the outcome I will always take away positives and learn to develop my racing. Finishing 5th at this event and racing well here definitely gives me confidence going into the Olympics.

“It’s definitely a privilege to join the pool team and Kareena Lee as a part of the open water team, being the third ever Australian male (joining Ky Hurst and Jarrod Poort) to swim at the Olympics for the 10km marathon swim is really special to me.

Chris Nesbit with Maddie Gough and Kiah Melverton

TSS CREW:  Maddy Gough and Kiah Melverton with coach Chis Nesbit. Photo Courtesy: Delly Carr (Swimming Australia).

“I also have other teammates I train with that I’ll be joining at the Olympics including David Morgan, Cameron McEvoy, Maddy Gough and Kiah Melverton. To share such a prestigious moment of my life with fellow teammates is something I’ll always cherish.”

Australian Olympic Team for Tokyo – Marathon Swimming

Name Event Age Olympic Games Suburb State Postcode
Kai Edwards 10km 22 Debut Labrador QLD 4215
Kareena Lee 10km 27 Debut Marcoola QLD 4564

 

The Marathon Swimming competition will be conducted on August 4th (Women’s) and August 5th (Men’s) at the Odaiba Marine Park.

Today’s announcement takes the number of athletes selected to 321 of an expected 450-480. Catch all the latest team info, stats and athlete bios at www.olympics.com.au/games/tokyo-2020/team/

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Kerry Monk
2 years ago

Molly Monk x

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