Leading Australian middle-distance runner Jessica Hull faces a race against time if she is to compete at the Commonwealth Games after testing positive to COVID-19.
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Hull, 25, tested positive for the first time on Tuesday (Wednesday AEST), a day after finishing seventh in the 1500m at the world athletics championships in Eugene.
She has gone straight into a mandatory five-day isolation period at her home in Portland, two hours from Eugene.
Hull and her coach Pete Julian had already come to an agreement with Athletics Australia that she could skip the pre-Commonwealth Games camp in the south-eastern English town of Tonbridge.
But she will still have to undergo PCR tests 72 hours before entering the athletes village and again on arrival in Birmingham.
The opening round of the 1500m is on August 5.
The current Australian record holder over 1500m and 5000m, Hull is considered an excellent medal chance in the metric mile in Birmingham, if she recovers in time.
She is the first member of the 64-strong Australian team in Eugene to test positive to COVID-19 during the 10-day championships.
As a former University of Oregon Ducks track star, Hull is one of the most high-profile athletes at the world titles.
There have been major concerns the world championships could turn into a COVID-19 cluster.
The Japanese team has been badly affected, with 11 athletes and officials testing positive.
Mask-wearing is now mandatory for athletes, coaches, officials and media in indoor areas.
Australian Associated Press
