400 athletes poisoned by swimming pool in Guadalajara

The unsanitary conditions of water at the Aquatic Center of Guadalajara caused several athletes participating at the National Swimming Championship to be hospitalized due to lung infections.

Several swimmers were treated for chemical pneumonitis

, which is an irritation of lungs caused by the inhalation of toxic substances, as well as dermatitis, and respiratory congestion.

Due to the poor conditions in which the pool and diving pit were found, the new administration of the State Council for Sports Promotion (CODE) attempted to save the pool water and hired a company that mishandled the chemicals needed to clean it.

The delegations of Baja California, Aguascalientes, Puebla, Oaxaca, Querétaro, Mexico City, and the State of Mexico decided to withdraw from the competition to protect their swimmers.

Nearly 3 thousand people participate at the National Championship , which serves as a selection examination for the National Olympics . The National Mexican Team that participated at the Central American Games of Barranquilla also takes part in the competition.

The national competition began on December 12 and will end today. However, there were several empty lanes after the withdrawal of the delegations.

During the past administration, CODE delivered the Pan American facility with a pool that was in very poor conditions. The water had been left untreated and with a greenish hue.

The new administration estimated that it would take one week to empty the pool and fill it up again, which is why they decided to use chemicals to treat the water instead, ultimately poisoning the athletes.

The Mexican Swimming Federation issued a press release revealing that the institution was conducting a water analysis with independent specialists to assess pool conditions, after which the Federation will have to make a decision.

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