Triathletes hospitalised after swimming in Seine River in Paris
The worst fears out of the Olympic Games have turned into reality with several athletes falling dangerously ill in Paris.
James McKern
August 5, 2024 - 10:39AM
Triathletes hospitalised after Seine swim.
Paris organisers’ worst fears have come true after mutiple athletes fell seriously ill after competing in the triathlon.
Concerns were raised going into the Olympics over the events taking place in the Seine River and now the reality has hit.
Belgium were forced to pull out of the mixed triathlon relay after one of their athletes was hospitalised with an E. coli infection.
Claire Michel, 35, has been sick for the past four days, an illness that has now ruled her out of the race entirely.
With Belgium unable to replace her in their four-person team, they have been forced to withdraw.
Along with Michel, Swiss triathlete Adrien Briffod has fallen seriously ill following the men’s individual event, according to reports.
The Belgian Olympic and Interfederal Committee released a statement saying: “The BOIC and Belgian Triathlon hope that lessons will be learned for future triathlon competitions.
“We are thinking of training days that can be guaranteed, competition days and formats that are clear in advance and circumstances that do not lead to uncertainty among athletes, entourage and fans.”
Athletes voiced concerns ahead of the event. (Photo by MARTIN BUREAU / POOL / AFP)
Michel’s E. coli infection comes after pollution in the River Seine led to the men’s individual event being postponed.
It was pushed back by a day, before Team GB’s Alex Yee eventually claimed the gold medal in the event.
Great Britian are one of the favourites to secure the gold medal in the mixed relay alongside hosts France.
However, fears are growing that the event could be cancelled after athletes were not allowed a practice swim due once again to poor water quality.
Heavy rain in Paris has increased E. coli levels and other bacteria in the river.
Swimming in the river has been banned since 1923 due to the poor water quality and health hazards.
But ahead of the Games the government splurged $1.5 billion in an attempt to clean the quality up. Despite the extensive efforts the results have fallen short of expectations.
Belgian triathlete Jolien Vermeylen, a teammate of the hospitalised Michel, was less than impressed with the water when she swam in the river.
Speaking to VTM after the women’s race, she said: “I drank a lot of water, so we’ll know tomorrow if I’m sick or not.
“It doesn’t taste like Coca-Cola or Sprite, of course.
“While swimming under the bridge, I felt and saw things that we shouldn’t think about too much.
“The Seine has been dirty for a hundred years, so they can’t say that the safety of the athletes is a priority. That’s bulls***!”
- with The Sun
