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Comm Games diver Li needs no COVID prompt

3 minute read

Australia's Commonwealth Games athletes remain on high alert after a COVID-19 case less than a fortnight before the opening ceremony in Birmingham.

JO WESTON.
JO WESTON. Picture: Jan Kruger/Getty Images

A fresh COVID-19 case and some recent war stories mean there has been no push-back on the extra measures Australia will take to limit the virus's impact at the Commonwealth Games.

Commonwealth Games Australia president Ben Houston ran through the numbers on Friday, their 435-strong contingent only smaller than the Gold Coast's 2018 party of 473.

Diamonds defender Jo Weston will be a late arrival in Birmingham though after testing positive to COVID-19, while diver Shixin Li is still recovering from a bout that rocked him before last month's world championships.

Li and his diving teammates were wearing masks at Friday's announcement with Houston in Brisbane, something they'll do in England whenever they're not competing.

Australian athletes have also been banned from attending other venues and mixing with the public in extra measures placed on top of the Games' overarching organising committee's protocols.

A world champion for China, Li retired in 2014 and was poached by Diving Australia as a coach and earned citizenship in 2019 before making a competitive comeback at the Tokyo Games.

The 34-year-old won bronze at last month's world championships in Budapest, despite losing six kilograms from his 68kg frame while isolating in a hotel for 10 days in the build-up.

"It was a very big problem; 10 days in a hotel, no training, I lost 6kg, had a 42 degree fever and then got to Budapest still feeling very bad and was really lucky to medal," he told AAP.

"I've been careful not to overcompensate for the Commonwealth Games, trying to do the exercise (to get back to his normal weight) but not want to get injured, very difficult to find the balance.

"It's disappointing we can't go and watch our teammates but there are still very high (COVID-19) numbers and we are doing a lot to keep safe by ourselves."

Athletes will be tested for COVID-19 before entering their accommodation but will only be required to test again if they show symptoms.

Houston said athletes didn't need encouragement to toe the line as they look to better their 80-gold haul of 2018.

"We've seen it in the Tour de France with Luke Durbridge (testing positive) who's in the team and we're still hoping he can compete, as well as Jo (Weston)," he told AAP.

"We'll only control what we can; (chef de mission) Petria Thomas and the team have done an amazing job at mitigating the risk.

"Our protocols are more stringent than the organising committee and we're unapologetic because we want to keep our athletes safe and compete at their best.

"But there are some things we just can't control."

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