Sports

By C.H. Lim

20% of the England and Australian swimming squad were affected.

Urgent tests have been being carried out on the Commonwealth Games swimming pools in Delhi after a number of athletes were struck down with a stomach virus.

About 20% of the England and Australian swimming squad are suffering from the bug

Up to 20 swimmers from the England and Australian teams have fallen ill and it is thought the quality of water at the aquatic centre could be to blame.

About 20% of the England swimming squad - about eight competitors, including Rebecca Adlington and Fran Halsall - were affected.

On Thursday, Halsall wrote on Twitter: "Tummy still not fab this am, very very hard to get out of bed.

"I hope the piece of bread I had for tea gets me through the heats," he said.

Moneghetti said Australian swimming coach Leigh Nugent was satisfied to train and compete in the pool and recent tests on it were "negative".

Yet the swim team are still dropping like flies.

Andrew Lauterstein, pulled out of 50m butterfly final and 100m heats, and backstroker Hayden Stoeckel were confirmed with gastroenteritis yesterday and quarantined from the team. Both were strong medal chances.

Ryan Napoleon, Robert Hurley, Marieke Guehrer have all fallen ill - as has Emily Seebohm's swim coach Matt Brown. Geoff Huegill's and Lauterstein's coach Grant Stoelwinder is also sick.

Australian breaststroker Brenton Rickard said many of his team mates had fallen ill since arriving in India.

"There are a fair few of us that have had some form of upset stomach," he said.

England team spokesman Caroline Searle indicated other members of their delegation have suffered a short sickness.

"We have 541 athletes and officials in Delhi and over the 28 days since the first ones arrived, 7-10% have suffered a mild stomach bug which has lasted for 24 hours," she said.

"[Those cases required] no treatment and has not prevented any athlete from missing training or competition.

"Separately we have asked for reassurances as to the water quality at the aquatics venue."

"We're not complacent and continue to reinforce the need to be vigilant in areas like hand hygiene."
Commonwealth game president Mike Fennell said the matter was being looked at and tests were being conducted on both the main pool and the training pool.

"If there is something that is unsafe, you can't swim in that water," he told reporters.

"We have to deal with it. It's a matter we have to deal with the greatest of urgency."