By Melissa Woods
MELBOURNE, Aug 11 AAP - Rowing Australia say their junior team has given the 2016 Rio Olympics course the thumbs up despite athletes from other countries falling ill.
The world junior championships were held as an Olympics test event last week in Rio, with concerns polluted water at the course could affect rowers.
While 13 rowers on the US team did suffer stomach illness, the Australians were relatively unscathed, with only three of 23 affected.
Only one was unable to compete on the final day, however team officials believed it was a case of food poisoning and didn't have any concerns about the lake pollution.
"The illness is not in excess to other experiences with Australian rowing teams," said a RA spokesperson.
"The team said it was an amazing experience and the facilities were good and they were well looked after."
Rowing Australia said it was difficult to confine a spread of gastroenteritis, citing their own national titles in 2013 when around 20 athletes and officials were affected.
The Australian junior team took extra precautions with innoculations and personal sanitary measures in a bid to avoid illness.
Members of the Dutch team jumped into the lake at the end of competition with no ill effects, while no members of the 24 athletes and support staff in the Canadian squad were sick.
Water quality of the lake, as well as in the seas where the sailing, triathlon and open water swimming events will be held in less than a year's time, has been criticised.
Unsafe levels of viruses and bacteria were recorded in the water, according to an independent study commissioned by the Associated Press and released last month.
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