Aussie Paralympians Caught In Bus Farce En Route To Swimming Pool

Paralympians stranded on the side of the road

Frustration and chaos as transport debacle hits team aiming for gold in Tokyo

Australia's Paralympic swimming team were left stranded on the side of the road in Tokyo after their bus broke down en route to the pool on Monday, casting a shadow over their preparations for the Games.

The team, which includes some of Australia's most successful Paralympians, were left waiting for a replacement bus for over an hour, delaying their training session.

Swimming Australia chief executive officer Leigh Russell said the incident was "unacceptable" and that the team was "very frustrated".

• "This is not the way we wanted to start our Paralympic campaign," Russell said.
• "We are here to win gold medals, and we need to be able to train in the best possible conditions."
• "We are very frustrated by this incident and we are working with the relevant authorities to ensure that it does not happen again."

The Australian Paralympic Committee (APC) said it was "disappointed" by the incident and that it was working with the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) to resolve the issue.

• "We are disappointed that this has happened and we are working with the IPC to ensure that it does not happen again," APC chief executive officer Lynne Anderson said.
• "We are committed to providing our athletes with the best possible support and we will continue to work with the IPC to ensure that they have the best possible preparation for the Games."

The incident comes just days before the start of the Paralympic Games, which are scheduled to begin on Tuesday.

The Australian Paralympic swim team is one of the most successful in the world, having won a total of 134 medals at the past four Games.

The team is expected to be one of the main challengers to China for the top spot on the medal table in Tokyo.