Jacinta O'Keeffe
Irish triathlete boycotts world championship over ‘Israeli’ participation
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- Jacinta O’Keeffe says she will boycott the World Triathlon Championship Finals in Pontevedra over the participation of six ‘Israeli’ athletes.
- Pontevedra officials have previously called for the ‘Israeli’ delegation to be excluded from the event.
Irish age-group triathlete Jacinta O’Keeffe is boycotting the World Triathlon Championship Finals in Pontevedra, Spain, in protest against the participation of an ‘Israeli’ team.
The championships are being held from Sep. 23 to 27 and bring together thousands of athletes across elite, junior, para and age-group competitions. World Triathlon lists six athletes representing ‘Israel’ among the participants.
O’Keeffe’s decision was publicised by Irish Sport for Palestine, which said the Irish athlete would not compete because of the inclusion of the ‘Israeli’ athletes. The group said World Triathlon had declined to remove ‘Israel’ from the competition.
The Pontevedra city government has also opposed the participation of the ‘Israeli’ delegation. Local officials said they had repeatedly asked the relevant sporting authorities not to allow the delegation to compete, but that the decision ultimately rested with international sporting bodies.
Among those listed to compete is Shachar Sagiv, a former ‘Israeli’ soldier, according to campaigners. World Triathlon's official athlete profile identifies Sagiv as an ‘Israeli’ athlete, and its elite men's start list lists him as representing ‘Israel’.
The dispute has also prompted heightened security measures in Pontevedra. Spanish authorities said they had reinforced police arrangements after receiving concerns from several groups about the participation of the ‘Israeli’ delegation, while stressing that protests could take place alongside the sporting event.
More than 20 Galician organisations have backed calls for the ‘Israeli’ team to be excluded from the championships, according to campaigners. The latest dispute follows protests in Galicia last year against the participation of an ‘Israeli’ cycling team in the Vuelta a España, with dozens of demonstrators later receiving fines.
The issue has also surfaced elsewhere in triathlon. Earlier this month, four ‘Israeli’ athletes were withdrawn from the Europe Triathlon Cup in Derry after the North West Triathlon Club objected to their participation. The club said its position concerned representation of the state of ‘Israel’ in international sport rather than the athletes’ religion or ethnicity.
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The Pontevedra championships are scheduled to conclude on Sunday, with the elite world champions due to be crowned at the end of the five-day event.
