Swimmer Sasha Gatt tests positive for COVID-19 at Paris Olympics

Struggled to perform in 1,500m heats on Tuesday

Sasha Gatt tested for COVID-19 a few minutes after competing in the 1,500m freestyle heats at the Paris Olympics on Tuesday.

A spokesman from the Maltese Olympic Committee confirmed to the Times of Malta that Gatt was tested after the race and returned a positive outcome.

The Maltese swimmer revealed after the race that she didn’t feel at her best during the race.

Gatt is the latest swimmer to test positive for COVID-19 at the Paris Olympics as several swimmers and waterpolo players were hit by the virus in the past few days in the French capital.

The most high-profile casualty so far has been Britain’s two-time Olympic champion Adam Peaty who felt unwell after winning silver in the 100m breaststroke on Sunday.

On Tuesday morning, Gatt was well below her best in the 1,500 metres heats at the Paris La Defense Arena on Tuesday.

Lining up in the first heat of the race, Gatt was up against two other swimmers, namely Singapore’s Ching Hwee Gan and Chile’s Kristel Kobrich.

Gan dominated the race from start to finish as she cruised home in 16 minutes 10 seconds and 13 seconds.

Kobrich took second spot when clocking a time of 16:27.18.

Maltese swimmer Gatt finished a distant third with a time of 17.00.54. Her effort was over 22 seconds slower than her own national record of 16:38.75 she had set in Rome in 2021.

This was Gatt’s only assignment at the 2024 Games, and was representing Malta in only her second Olympic Games.