Belgian triathlete withdraws from Paris Olympics after swim in Seine
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The Belgian committee is not providing any details, but according to reports from the local media, Michel was diagnosed with an E. Coli bacterial infection and has been hospitalized for the past four days.
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Athletes compete in the swimming race in the Seine River during the women's individual triathlon at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Wednesday, July 31, 2024, in Paris, France (Pool/AP)
The Belgian Olympic Committee has confirmed that the mixed triathlon team will not compete in Monday's finals because one of their athletes, Claire Michel, was hospitalized following a swim in the Seine River in Paris.
They also said that their withdrawal from the finals will be with the expectation that “lessons will be learned for future triathlon competitions” and that there won't be any more “uncertainty” for athletes and support staff, taking a jab at the organizers of the Olympics.
In its statement, the committee said, “The BOIC and Belgian Triathlon must unfortunately announce that the ‘Belgian Hammers’ will not be starting the mixed relay at the Paris Olympic Games tomorrow. The decision, like this communication, was taken in consultation with the athletes and their entourage” adding, “Claire Michel, a member of the relay, is unfortunately ill and must withdraw from the competition”.
The committee did not provide any details, but according to reports from the local media, Michel was diagnosed with an E. Coli bacterial infection and has been hospitalized for the past four days.
This comes after the Swiss triathlon squad said that they had to substitute triathlete Simon Westermann for Adrien Briffod due to the contraction of a gastrointestinal infection, but the team relayed that it remains unclear if Briffod's illness was related to the Seine river.
Jolien Vermeylen, who completed 24th in Wednesday’s event said, “While swimming under the bridge, I felt and saw things that we shouldn’t think about too much,” expressing that the water did not actually taste like “Coca-Cola or Sprite.”
She further said: “The Seine has been dirty for a hundred years, so they can’t say the safety of the athletes is a priority”.
Postponed until further notice
This follows a mere day after Olympic referee Alexey Kalinin announced that the open water swimming competition for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris would not take place in the Seine.
The triathlon familiarization session was postponed on Saturday by the Paris Olympics organizers because of the river's low water quality.
On Telegram, Kalinin wrote, "We are waiting for a decision on whether the relays with swimming will be held tomorrow, or whether they will be postponed to August 6, when the start will be held anyway in a triathlon or duathlon format. In our opinion, the open water swimming competition will definitely not be held in the Seine”.
August 8 is set aside for the women's 10 km (6.2 mi) competition; the men will swim the distance the next day.
Despite the postponement of the men's race due to poor water quality and the cancellation of training familiarization sessions, the triathlons for both men and women took place in Paris on Wednesday.
Many triathletes have voiced their displeasure with the Paris Olympics, claiming that the participants' health was not taken into consideration by the organizers. A number of athletes fell ill on Wednesday either during or after the competition.
Immediately after crossing the finish line, triathlete Tyler Mislawchuk, a Canadian, fell ill and threw up.
There are reports that hazardous bacteria are infesting the Seine. To ensure that the water was safe for competition, Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo took a swim in the river that passes through the French capital before the games began. President Emmanuel Macron backtracked from his promise to do the same.
Hidalgo had made a promise last year that from 2025, three sites where swimming had been prohibited since 1923 would reopen.
