Australians competing at Olympics despite positive COVID tests

The 2024 Summer Olympics have been a success for Australia so far, despite the team being wracked by an outbreak of COVID-19 in Paris over the past 10 days.

Close to 50 different Australian athletes have tested positive for COVID at the Olympic Games.

However, the nation still sits third on the medal chart, with 13 golds, 11 silvers and eight bronzes so far in France.

Several athletes have even competed and won medals despite testing positive for the respiratory illness.

Swimming coach Rohan Taylor revealed that Zac Stubblety-Cook, who won a silver medal in the 200-metre breaststroke, tested positive ahead of the race but opted to still compete.

Half of all athletes tested have COVID

Australia’s medical director at the Olympics, Carolyn Broderick, revealed that about half of the athletes that have been tested either had COVID-19 or Influenza A.

“We can into these Games knowing that there would some infectious illness,” Broderick said.

“Anywhere where you have got 14,500 people living in close confines, sharing bathrooms, bedrooms, dining halls, you can expect some transmission.”

Australia’s chef de mission, Anna Meares, shared that having their own in-house PCR machines has been key for testing and isolating athletes.

“That turns around the results in 45 minutes, which allows the medical team to support our athletes as quickly as possible,” said Meares.

“One of the great things has been the selfless attitude of a lot of athletes,” added Broderick.

“[They are] not really worried about themselves but thinking they’re sharing a room with someone who is competing in the next few days and they want to minimise the risk for their teammates.”

United States favoured to win most gold medals

Despite Australia’s strong performance in the pool over the weekend — they bagged seven gold medals, their third-highest tally at an Olympic Games — the nation trails in outright betting for the most golds won in Paris.

The United States are strong favourites to come out on top, paying just $1.20 to have the most gold medals at the conclusion of the Paris Olympics.

Current leaders China, who have 21 golds to America’s 20, trail on $4.33 at Olympic bookmakers.

Behind these two, all other nations have huge underdog odds.

France ($101) and Japan ($201) are next in line, while Australia sit level with Great Britain on $251 to top the medal charts.

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