Rio 2016 - ISAF official tackles Sail-World over Rio sailor illness
by Richard Gladwell/Sail-World.com NZL on 20 Aug 2015
Mens RS:X windsurfers competing on Guanabara Bay Sailing Energy/ISAF
The International Sailing Federation's Chief Marketing Officer, Malcolm Page has hit back at the Sail-World story published on Wednesday on the hospitalisation of a Korean windsurfer after suffering symptoms consistent with ingesting polluted water.
Page, a Gold Medalist at the 2012 Olympics is also a five time World Champion in the Mens 470 class.
'This article that you have posted about the Korean windsurfer Wonwoo Cho, is disappointing. Not that you are publishing his sickness, but the fact that you have not found out all the facts about the case', says Page in an email to Sail-World.com.
The email continues:
Regarding the status of people sick:
Since ISAF arrived, and with the medical team, we have had:
- Two reported cases of sickness. (KOR is one, other identity is being kept private as the patient wishes).
- KOR is currently recovered and 'all ok' (words from KOR team).
- ISAF medical team and RIO2016 was across this situation.
- The 2x athletes that are sick, both have not followed or attended the ISAF Medical teams guidelines or team presentations.
- ISAF have offered a private update (up skill) for them to give them every chance to keep healthy.
- ISAF has also updated the teams on what was sent to them from ISAF 3 months ago, to allow them to understand the work that Rio Government is performing.
Yes Korean and the other athlete have got sick. That is two from 339 athletes at this event. To say or confirm that his sickness has come from the bay is not possible, certainly not at the moment.
The ISAF doctor, has asked for a complete study on how they are living, what they do before and after racing, what they drink, and where they eat. This might give a more scientific and factorial method of seeing how they got sick. Then we might have more of a chance to understand how he got sick.
So just to reiterate - there is no confirmation his sickness has come from the Guanabara Bay water.
There is also 62 ISAF affiliated (Race officers, Jury, Measures, Staff, Executive) who have all been on the water. This number does not include the local Brazilian organisers/volunteers. No sicknesses reported from this group thus far.
In addition. The KOR athlete is back out competing. So his health has recovered quickly!
When we consider the two from 339 athletes, since ISAF arriving. This is well under what might be considered normal. I mean normal for any regatta, anywhere in the world.
By all means water in Rio is a large focus.
In addition. The 'objects' problem from last year is basically non existent. Sailors are very happy with the improvement and not one person has had object issues while racing. So the efforts seem to be working.
Sail-World stands by the original story and notes that Associated Press correspondent Stephen Wade based in Rio de Janeiro has picked up on the same lead from social media publishing a story, click here to view reiterating the comments in Sail-World and claiming that four sailors have in fact been affected.
For many competitors, the Pre-Olympic Test regatta is half complete. The Korean sailor Wonwoo Cho did sail in the one race sailed on Wednesday in the RS:X - finishing in 14th place in the 29 competitor fleet, he lies in 23rd overall with one race to be sailed on Thursday to finish the event for the Mens Windsurfer.
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