Israeli athletes who were due to compete in an international triathlon in the Northern Irish city of Londonderry this weekend will no longer be taking part, race organizers said Thursday.

North West Triathlon Club (NWTC) said it had made “strong representations” that it could not support the participation of four Israeli athletes in the Europe Triathlon Cup.

But Julie Middleton, a member of the legislative Northern Ireland assembly for the pro-UK Democratic Unionist Party, said the fact the Israeli quartet had been barred from a race set to feature up to 200 athletes from around the world was “an awful reflection on Londonderry.”

Middleton added: “An international sporting event that should showcase our city’s hospitality and openness has instead become associated with the exclusion of athletes because they are Israeli.”

NWTC, in a social media statement, said it became aware of the potential participation of Israeli athletes only when the provisional entry list for Saturday’s race was published on the World Triathlon website.

“NWTC immediately made strong representations to Triathlon Ireland and Europe Triathlon and made clear in the strongest possible terms that it could not support their participation in the........

© The Times of Israel