Olympic Swimmer in France Trains in Small Inflatable Pool During COVID-19 Lockdown

Storyful
4 年前

Dutch Olympic swimmer Sharon van Rouwendaal found a way to continue her training despite the COVID-19 lockdown – using a small inflatable pool and a tether, she managed to swim in her backyard in Marsaneix, France, on March 28.

Video recorded by Alida Catharina van Rouwendaal Zaal, Sharon’s mother, shows an excerpt of her daughter’s 45-minute swim, which was cut short due to the water being “very cold,” the Olympian wrote on Facebook.

Speaking to Storyful, Sharon van Rouwendaal said she was in southwestern France to train with her coach, Philippe Lucas, but due to the lockdown, she was unable to leave her home.

Before resorting to the inflatable pool, she tried to swim in the sea and a nearby lake, but the police were “waiting for her” before she came out of the water, she said.

France has confirmed over 3,532 deaths from COVID-19 and at least 52,000 people were infected as of April 1. Credit: Alida Catharina van Rouwendaal Zaal via Storyful