Israeli athletes out of Northern Ireland triathlon

Israeli athletes who were due to compete in the City of Derry Triathlon in Londonderry this weekend will no longer take part, race organisers said Thursday.

North West Triathlon Club said it made strong representations after seeing four Israeli athletes on the provisional entry list for Saturday's Europe Triathlon Cup race. The club said athletes representing Israel would not participate and said its position concerned representation of the state of Israel in international sport, not religion or ethnicity.

Julie Middleton, a Democratic Unionist Party member of the Northern Ireland Assembly, criticised the move, saying an event that should show the city's hospitality had become associated with excluding athletes because they are Israeli.

The Police Service of Northern Ireland said it had become aware of potential protest activity related to the event on social media.