FILE–Swimmer Luke Gebbie. Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines–Filipino swimmer Luke Gebbie tested positive for COVID-19 just before his entry to Hanoi, Vietnam making him ineligible to compete for the 31st Southeast Asian Games which start next week.
Gebbie, a gold medal prospect for the Philippines, was supposed to be one of the 16-member aquatics team to Hanoi.
Gebbie, who competed in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, bagged the silver medal in the men’s 4×100 meters freestyle relay and bronze in the 50 meters freestyle in the 2019 SEA Games.
He also owns also owns the national record in 100m freestyle (49.64 seconds), which he set in the qualifying heats in Tokyo, along with the 50m freestyle (22.57 seconds) and 50m butterfly (24.34 seconds) records which he set in the biennial meet in the country three years ago.
“Too bad he tested positive,” Philippine Olympic Committee President Rep. Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino said on Saturday. “That’s one less medal—a potential gold at that—in our campaign.”
According to the POC, three other Filipino athletes in kickboxing initially tested positive for the virus but were cleared after a retest early last week.
The kickboxing team, led by members of the famed Team Lakay stable, kicks off its campaign on Sunday.