Aussie swimmers told to fly back if they feel unsafe

MELBOURNE - Swimming Australia President David Urquhart Monday told the Commonwealth Games swimming squad to fly back home any time if they feel unsafe in New Delhi.

The swimming event of the Oct 3-14 Games is scheduled to take place at the Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Swimming Complex from Oct 4.

Urquhart said the safety of their athletes come first and there will be no pressure on them to participate in the New Delhi Games.

“If they arrive there and they feel unsafe and they don’t like the place and want to get out, we fly them back,” Urquhart was quoted as saying by the Herald Sun.

“Our first concern is the safety of our athletes and other people from the swimming family going over there. We have also told our athletes if they don’t want to go that will be their decision and there will be no recourse.”

Urquhart, however, said there have been no pullouts from the swimmers yet.

“We have not had anyone pullout yet. We only have some swimmers ask for early releases for exams and work once their events are done,” he said.

The Australian swimmers will have a camp in Malaysia before they arrive in New Delhi.

The Australian Commonwealth Games Association had already announced that it will send its largest ever Games contingent of 600.