Spectators Banned From Diving Event in Mexico City Because of Swine Flu Outbreak

Nine U.S. divers competed last weekend at an event in Mexico City featuring the sport's biggest stars and nearly two dozen Olympians. No one, however, showed up to watch the competition.

The U.S. diving team ran headlong into the scare over the outbreak of swine flu, which triggered the cancellation of Friday's opening ceremonies and the barring of spectators from the 10,000-seat host arena during the two-day event. It also led to the distribution of medical masks to athletes, officials and arena workers.

Coaches were told to bump elbows rather than shake hands on the pool deck, athletes were ordered to stay in their hotel rooms when they weren't competing and police guarded the arena to ensure fans did not sneak in.

"I remember two years ago at the same pool, the same meet, the stands were packed full of people and the environment was so awesome to dive in," said U.S. diver David Boudia, who won a bronze medal in the 10-meter synchronized event with Thomas Finchum. "This year . . . it was so empty it kind of felt like a practice or training session."

Chartered buses picked up the 41 competitors from nine countries at the entrances to their hotels and shuttled them directly to the door of Francisco Marquez Olympic Swimming Pool, the site of the fourth leg of the prestigious FINA Diving World Series.

No athletes or officials who took part have shown symptoms of the disease, an international swimming official said yesterday. The event concluded Saturday night, and most participants -- including the 12-person U.S. contingent -- flew out Sunday as U.S. federal health officials declared the swine flu outbreak a public health emergency.

"I sent an e-mail this morning, and everybody's fine," said Dan Laak, the U.S. team leader and diving coach at the University of Georgia.

After semifinal events took place Friday morning, event organizers and officials for FINA, the sport's Lausanne, Switzerland-based governing body, met to determine whether to proceed with the event. At that time, only about 20 cases of the flu had been identified in Mexico.

"They were very seriously concerned," said John Wingfield, the U.S. coach in Mexico City and the nation's diving coach in Beijing last summer. "Our athletes had a little reaction. Everybody was online [and] concerned it could be a pandemic. They were concerned about themselves and others, but were pretty level-headed about it."

Because all of the teams had already arrived, meet officials decided not to cancel the competition. The U.S. team, most of which traveled straight from another event in Sheffield, England, had been in town since April 20.

Officials sent home the mariachi band and child performers scheduled to participate in the event's opening ceremonies and threw out the spectators who already had arrived for that night's competition.

"They told us, 'We're going to continue the competition, but we're going to do it without spectators,' " Laak said. "It was a unique situation, to be at a world cup event with no spectators. Everybody, in the back of their heads, was concerned, but I don't think there was panic."

Said Finchum: "People got a little scared -- I know I did -- because we didn't know exactly what was going on. . . . It was an initial shock."

The meet's only applause came from assembled teams and coaches, who attempted to cheer for all of the divers to make up for the absence of an audience. U.S. athletes performed well. Besides the bronze from Boudia and Finchum, Chris Colwill and Jevon Tarantino claimed a silver medal in the men's synchro three-meter and Kelci Bryant earned bronze in the women's three-meter event.

Perhaps because the next major international event takes place in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., next week, Laak said, no U.S. parents or family members attended the Mexico City event.

The U.S. divers returned to the United States through Dulles International Airport on Sunday, arriving to the airport in Mexico City more than four hours ahead of their flights in the event of delays.

But other than facing six or seven questions about their health before boarding and receiving medical masks to wear throughout the airport and on the flight, their departure went smoothly.

"We knew it was a big deal, but I think we all just wanted to stay calm and not freak out," Finchum said.