Australia will provide protective measures for athletes competing in the waters of the Seine at the Paris Olympics, but the final decision on whether to dive will rest with the athletes.
France has pledged to remove enough contaminants from Paris' waterways to safely host the marathon swimming and aquatic events in July and August.
To reduce the risk of contamination of the river, the mayor opened a huge reservoir last month, but regular water tests on rainy days still detect unhealthy levels of pollutants.
Australia's Olympic team chief Anna Mears said she trusted organisers' assurances about the safety of the water but would not prescribe any action to athletes if tests showed it was unsafe.
“There's no point in us stepping in and saying 'you can't swim'. Ultimately it's the athlete's choice,” the former cyclist said at an Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) press conference for the Paris Games on Wednesday.
“We are not going to put any player in an environment where they are putting their health at risk. That information will be provided to the player and the choice will ultimately be theirs.”
“Try standing in front of an Olympian who has trained their whole life and now has the opportunity to swim and say 'no'. You can't do that.”
Dr. Carolyn Broderick, the team's medical director, said the AOC had experience protecting athletes from possible infection after similar concerns emerged at the open water swimming venues at the Rio 2016 Games.
“If the Paris Organizing Committee says it's safe to swim then I'm not too concerned,” she said. “Obviously I know that the water quality can vary quite a bit depending on what's going on outside, especially the amount of rainfall.”
“So we need to be prepared for any pathogens that may be out there, and we have systems in place to do that.”
Broderick said medical teams would apply an antibacterial solution to the athletes' eyes and skin after they went in the water and provide them with preventative medication to ward off intestinal infections.
Mears said Australia's expected contingent was about 460 athletes and they could expect a high level of support in Paris and other Olympic venues, including domestic support.
The Australian team will have their own gym in the athletes' village, exclusive access to premium foods such as Vegemite spread and pies, and three baristas will be visiting to ensure coffee supplies.
Mears said organisers had not installed air conditioning in the village, but in the interest of sustainability, Australia would be installing air conditioning in each bedroom in case of extreme heat.
“At the end of the day, we and the organizing committee have our own sustainability goals,” she said. “It's the standards that we feel we have to deliver for the performance of our athletes.”
