A number of athletes at the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) World Championships have been laid low by stomach upsets, with Botswana’s Isaac Makwala on Monday saying that he was forced to withdraw from the 200m heats because of food poisoning.
Organizers late on Monday released a statement saying that a number of teams had reported cases of gastroenteritis at their official hotel.
“Those affected have been supported by both team and LOC [London organizing committee] medical staff, in addition we have been working with Public Health England to ensure the situation is managed and contained,” the organizing committee said in a statement.
“As a result, further advice and guidelines have been issued to team doctors and support staff — standard procedure for such an occurrence where a number of teams are occupying championship accommodation,” it added
It was not immediately clear if Makwala, who pulled out of the 200m heats earlier on Monday, was staying at the hotel in question, but he said on Facebook that other athletes in his accommodation had been ill.
“According to IAAF medics, I am apparently suffering from food poisoning, which has affected several other athletes in the athletes’ hotel,” he said. “Lets hope they will allow me to run my final tomorrow.”
Makwala, among the favorites for the 400m, would normally be scratched from the final after pulling out of another event.
However, as he missed the heats on medical advice, he would be able to run, if fit.
Ireland’s 400m hurdler Thomas Barr was also forced out of his semi-finals on Monday.
“I wasn’t feeling great yesterday evening and later in the night I was hit with a bad bout of gastroenteritis,” Barr said in an Athletics Ireland statement. “My whole year has been focused on the World Championships ... and I’m gutted to have to withdraw.”
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