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Health
Kristy Sexton-McGrath

Australia's Olympic athletes take over tropical city of Cairns ahead of Tokyo Games

Top athletes take to Cairns for training ahead of Olympics.

Australia's top athletes have taken over the tropical city of Cairns as the Olympic and Paralympic pre-departure training camp due to its climate being similar to the Japanese capital at this time of year.

The Australian swim team has commandeered the local pool, while the track and field team has been doing hot laps of the town's athletics track.

But it has not been all work and no play.

Australian Olympic swimmer Cate Campbell has been busy posting pictures of herself and other members of the swim team on their day off in Cairns.

"What do a bunch of swimmers do on their day off?" she wrote.

The Australian Olympic swim team have been getting out and about in Cairns, including visiting local waterholes.  (Supplied: Cate Campbell)

Olympic gold medallist swimmer Emily Seebohm has also taken to social media to give fans an insight into her training regime, as well as the view from her hotel room.

"And how nice is this room."

The Australian Olympic athletics team has also been in Cairns preparing for the Tokyo Games. 

100-metre sprint hopeful Rohan Browning has been training at the city's Barlow Park athletics track, along with about two dozen other track and field athletes.

"I decided to stay in Australia to take advantage of the time zone similarities between here and Tokyo," he said.

Rohan Browning is one of dozens of Olympians that have been training at Barlow Park ahead of this month's Games. (Supplied: Athletics Australia)

Fans hoping to catch a glimpse of their favourite sporting stars at the next restaurant table might be left disappointed.

Dual Olympic swimmer Jack McLoughlin said contact with the public was forbidden.

West Australian pole vaulter Liz Parnov is training in Cairns ahead of the Tokyo Olympics. (Supplied: Athletics Australia)

More than 400 Australian athletes are expected to compete in Tokyo in just over a fortnight.

Spectators have been banned from Olympic venues as COVID-19 case numbers in the city rise.

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