A number of Israeli triathletes set to compete in Londonderry have been withdrawn from the race after organisers raised concerns about their participation.
The sport’s governing body, World Triathlon, confirmed on Thursday it had been asked by the Israeli National Federation to “remove all the Israeli athletes entered” from Saturday’s Europe Triathlon Cup.
The North West Triathlon Club (NWTC), who are organising the race, earlier said they could not support the Israeli athletes taking part.
The club added that it had concerns about “athlete and public safety” had the Israeli athletes competed on Saturday.
The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) told BBC News NI it had “become aware of potential protest activity in relation to the event”.
Four Israeli triathletes had been listed on a provisional entry list for the men’s elite race in Derry.
World Triathlon said it had removed the Israeli competitors with “immediate effect” following the request from the Israeli federation.
Earlier the NWTC said it had raised a number of concerns with both Triathlon Ireland and Europe Triathlon after it said it had become aware of the Israeli athletes participation.
It said it had “made clear in the strongest possible terms that it could not support their (the Israel athletes) participation in the circumstances.”
That position, NWTC said, is based on its club values, the values of its members and “on the very real concerns being raised around athlete and public safety, the potential for serious disruption and the wider risk to an event involving hundreds of competitors from Ireland and across the world.”
“This is not a position directed at anyone because of their religion or ethnicity, nor is it hostility towards an individual simply because they were born in Israel,” NWTC said.
