European Junior Champion Vlad Stancu of Romania is the latest swimmer in attendance at the 2024 Paris Olympics to test positive, he told SwimSwam on Tuesday. Stancu will not compete in the men’s 1500 freestyle later this week.
Stancu told SwimSwam he is experiencing symptoms such as fever and muscle soreness. He also said that the whole Romanian team wears masks but they are unable to move to a hotel.
Stancu was entered in two events in Paris, the men’s 800 and 1500 freestyles. He competed in prelims of the men’s 800 free yesterday morning, finishing in a 8:20.78, almost a 30 second add from his best time of a 7:49.68 that he swam for 2nd place at the 2023 European Junior Championships.
He also was entered in the 1500 freestyle which has prelims scheduled for Saturday, August 3rd, the final prelims session of the meet. He was the #23 seed in the event. He won the European Junior title in the event in 2022 swimming a 15:05.47. He then dropped a 15:00.51 at 2023 European Juniors, which was his entry time here in Paris.
Stancu is the latest swimmer to test positive for COVID-19. Adam Peaty of Great Britain won silver in the men’s 100 breast and tested positive the following morning. Just this morning, Lani Pallister of Australia missed prelims of the women’s 1500 free after testing positive as well. Most recently, sources told SwimSwam that Luke Whitlock and David Johnston of the US have tested positive as well. Five Australian members of the women’s water polo team tested positive for COVID last week, before the opening ceremony even began.
This makes me worry about David Popovici. I hope he can avoid getting sick!
Popovici has been staying at a hotel from the start. Also saw that he had been wearing a mask in one of the Romanian team photos. 1 more day of competition to go for him!
Was going to say, even mild Covid would explain the 1:44.7 winning time…
leaving this here for the inevitable reactionary idiot’s ‘why are they testing it offends me a virus exist’