2021 FINA SHORT COURSE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
- Thursday, December 16th – Tuesday, December 21st
- Etihad Arena, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
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The reigning Olympic champion in the men’s 200m freestyle, Tom Dean of Great Britain, was a no-show this morning in the heats of this hotly-contested event.
As we reported, 21-year-old Dean represented one of two top players who left their lanes empty during the prelims session. The other was South African Olympian Chad le Clos.
British media is reporting now that Dean has been ‘ruled out’ of these FINA Short Course World Championships due to a COVID-19-related incident. ‘Tom Dean was pinged as a close contact of a COVID positive,’ reads the report.
Tom Dean ruled out of world short course swimming championships today after being pinged as a close contact of a Covid positive.
Surely, surely, can’t have caught Covid himself for third time in a year…
— Mark Woods (@markbritball) December 17, 2021
Remarkably before Tokyo, Dean contracted COVID-19 two separate times. In April of this year, he told SwimSwam, that his first infection came in September of 2020, the week before he was supposed to fly out for the International Swimming League season in Budapest (which is why he, and a few other British swimmers, arrived late).
He then contracted a second case, which he describes as “very severe,” over the New Year. He was out of the water for 3 weeks at that time and then had 3 weeks to rebuild his strength.
Although Dean has been ruled out here, there is no word of any other British swimmers being impacted by this situation. Compare that to Singapore and Nigeria, who each was dealt big blows by swimmers having tested positive, render their entire squads out of this competition for the totality.
Slovakia is out as well due to 4 positive cases.
Fina Needs to end this meet. There’s already been so many positive cases and now Fina’s invited athletes are getting cut out of the meet. It’s ridiculous. Fina needs to get their sh*t together and learn how to host a meet that’s safe for their athletes.
Crazy how this is a normalized way of life
When would Tom get released? Would he, if he himself tests negative?
wait so now we have to go with Litchfield – Richards – Mildred – Scott in the 4×200 tomorrow in both the heats and the final
GB is finished
fr, hopefully GB get some kind of luck and Proud wins Gold on Sunday.
* On Sunday not tomorrow
Dean’s Covid luck is almost laughable at this point
Third time’s the charm