Fears of Olympic Covid outbreak after second swimming star tests positive after Adam Peaty bombshell

A second swimmer has tested positive for Covid at the Paris Olmypics. Australia's Lani Pallister has withdrawn from the women's 1500 metres freestyle after testing positive for the virus.

It was announced just an hour Pallister, who is the reigning world champion in the event, was due to take part in the heats for the event on Tuesday.

She is hoping preserve her energy and recover in time to take part in the 4x200 metres freestyle relay on Thursday for which the Aussie team, known as the Dolphins, are favourites.

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Pallister is not the only Australian Olympian to go down with Covid in Paris – several members of the women’s water polo team, the Stingers, tested positive on the eve of the Games.

“This is a high-performance environment, so we are being diligent,” Australlia's Chef De Mission aNNA Meares said at a press conference last week. “But I need to emphasise we’re treating Covid no differently to other bugs like the flu – this is not Tokyo.”

Today's announcement has sparked fears in some quarters over a possible Covid outbreak on the Olympic pool deck. It was announced on Monday that Team GB swimmer Adam Peaty tested positive for Covid just hours after he won silver in the 100m metre breaststroke.

Adam finished second in the men’s 100-metre breaststroke final on Sunday night, finishing behind Italy’s Nicolo Martinenghi by just 0.02 seconds.

The Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020 champion told the media after the race that he had woken on the morning of the showpiece with a sore throat.

He said on Sunday night: “I’ve had a bit of a curveball with my throat but, please, it’s no excuse at all. But it’s a curveball I’ve