Vic: Council wants to repeat surf event despite needle injury

AAP General News (Australia)
04-07-2000
Vic: Council wants to repeat surf event despite needle injury

MELBOURNE, April 7 AAP - A Victorian beachside council is hoping to repeat next summer
the sports festival which was marred this year by a needle-stick injury to ironman Jonathon
Crowe.

City of Port Phillip Mayor Julian Hill said the Victorian government had given the
council a grant to buy more sophisticated beach-cleaning equipment.

"Our cleansing operations are now even better equipped to maintain a clean and safe
beach environment for visitors and competitors alike," Mr Hill said.

Crowe stepped on a discarded syringe while competing in the OneSummer Festival on Elwood
Beach in January.

A spokesman for the event organisers said Crowe had now retired from professional ironman
competitions and would not compete in next year's event.

The spokesman said the Wollongong-based ironman was waiting for final results next
week of tests for any blood-borne diseases.

The festival organisers said they were satisfied with the beach-cleaninhg measures
the council had taken and were waiting for final permits before going ahead with the event.

AAP nl/jlw/wjf

KEYWORD: CROWE (CARRIED EARLIER)

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