Whooping cough scare disrupts swimmers

20 Jun 2012, 6:19 pm   -   Source: AAP
(AAP)

(AAP)

Australian head swimming coach Leigh Nugent says the squad's Olympic preparations are on track despite a health scare forcing him to call off a meet.

Australian head swimming coach Leigh Nugent is confident his squad's London Olympic preparations won't be seriously disrupted despite a whooping cough health scare causing a key practice meet to be cancelled.

A two-day grand prix event to be held this weekend at the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) in Canberra was canned on Wednesday after two members of the women's water polo team and a coach contracted the contagious disease.

The Aussie Stingers team had been training at the AIS and Swimming Australia made the call as a precaution to ensure their swimmers stayed healthy with the Games little more than a month away.

The Stingers, who recently returned from the World League finals in China, were tested and placed in isolation after Melissa Rippon and Nicola Zagame were diagnosed with whooping cough.

AIS doctor Kieran Fallon played down fears of an outbreak among athletes at the institute - explaining most people had been immunised at childhood - but said he fully supported Swimming Australia's decision.

Nugent conceded cancelling the grand prix meet was a blow but said it was more a case of disappointment than disaster.

The squad will still be able to finetune preparations at their pre-Games training camp in Manchester.

"For us it would have been great to have our team come here and get together ... It's a disappointment they can't get up and have some racing and rehearse some of our strategies," Nugent said.

"But on the back of that, they're going to stay home and maintain some stability in their own programs and most coaches are going to set up some time trials.

"All is not lost ... but it would have been more beneficial if we could have got together."

Swimmers will remain in their home states to prepare before the first group heads to Europe next week while only one of Australia's six Canberra-based athletes - rising 100m freestyle star James Roberts - lives on the AIS site and will be temporarily relocated.

Fallon said it was likely the disease had been picked up during the Stingers' visit to China, where they were beaten by the US in the World League finals decider to reaffirm their status as gold medal contenders in London.

Australian women's water polo captain Kate Gynther admitted there was some concern among the team after fellow veteran Rippon was diagnosed with whooping cough on Friday.

But she expected Rippon and Zagame could be back in full training with the team as soon as Thursday and described it as a "minor setback".

"It was a little bit (scary) but we've had great support from the doctors and now we're aware of all the results and the measures in place, everyone's feeling quite comfortable," Gynther said.

"Obviously it's not ideal ... but it's by no means the end of the world."

The AIS said it was treating the outbreak "very seriously" and communicating with all sports planning to visit the facility.

Fallon stressed the disease was airborne and could not be spread through a swimming pool.

The Australian Olympic Committee said it was going ahead with a planned announcement of the women's artistic gymnastics team at the AIS on Thursday.

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