Four Israeli athletes scheduled to compete in an international triathlon in Londonderry, Northern Ireland, will no longer participate in the event after the local organising club objected to their inclusion.
The athletes had been due to compete in Saturday’s City of Derry Triathlon, part of the Europe Triathlon Cup, which is expected to attract as many as 200 competitors from around the world.
North West Triathlon Club (NWTC), which is involved in organising the event, said it became aware of the Israeli athletes’ participation after a provisional entry list was published on the World Triathlon website.
The club said it subsequently made “strong representations” to Triathlon Ireland and Europe Triathlon, stating that it could not support the participation of athletes representing Israel under the current circumstances.
“For the avoidance of any doubt, athletes representing Israel will not be participating in the City of Derry Triathlon on Saturday,” the club said in a statement, adding that there would be “no Israeli representation” at the event.
NWTC said its position was not based on the athletes’ religion or ethnicity, but rather on Israel’s representation in international sport amid the ongoing suffering of Palestinians.
The decision has drawn criticism from Julie Middleton, a Democratic Unionist Party member of the Northern Ireland Assembly, who described the exclusion as a negative reflection on Londonderry.
She argued that an international sporting event intended to portray the city’s hospitality and openness had instead become associated with excluding athletes on the basis of their nationality.
Meanwhile, the Police Service of Northern Ireland said it was aware of potential protest activity linked to the event after posts appeared on social media.
Israeli athletes withdraw from Northern Ireland race after organizers object