The Belgian Olympics Paris 2024 Committee declared on Sunday that the country would not be fielding a team for the mixed relay triathlon in Paris. This choice was made in response to the illness of one of its competitors, Claire Michel, who had been swimming in the Seine River during the women’s triathlon on Wednesday.
“Michel is unfortunately ill and will have to withdraw from the competition,” the Belgian Olympic and Interfederal Committee said in a statement. Although the precise nature of her ailment was not made public, it has caused some concern regarding the Seine’s water quality.
Despite these concerns, the organizers of the Olympics 2024 said that the mixed relay triathlon would go forward on Monday at 8 a.m., with the swimming leg slated to happen in the Seine. Recent testing of the water revealed “quite good” levels of bacteria, raising some concerns about the purity of the water.
On Sunday night, representatives of the International Olympic Committee, World Triathlon, and other pertinent organizations examined data regarding water quality. After some improvement, they determined that the water quality was still suitable for the race to go on.
Water Quality Concerns and Testing
The Seine’s water is tested every day to determine the number of faecal bacteria, including E. Coli levels up to 1,000 colony-forming units per 100 millilitres, which are deemed “excellent” and safe for racing, following World Triathlon’s guidelines.
Due to concerns about the condition of the water, the men’s race and the swimming portion of the two test runs before the individual triathlon events were postponed by one day. Additionally, test swims that were scheduled for Saturday and Sunday before the mixed relay had to be cancelled due to high levels of viruses.
Swiss and Norwegian Athletes Affected
Triathlete Adrien Briffod, who also participated in the Seine on Wednesday, was reported by Swiss officials to have become unwell with a stomach infection. They did, however, add that as no other delegation had reported any comparable problems, it was “difficult to say” if it had anything to do with the swim.
The Swiss team announced on Sunday that Simon Westermann, who was set to replace Briffod, also had to withdraw due to a stomach infection
Norwegian triathlete Vetle Bergsvik Thorn also started feeling unwell after competing in the men’s triathlon. He experienced stomach issues and vomiting, which he initially attributed to possible food poisoning. Norwegian Triathlon Federation’s sports director, Arild Tveiten, mentioned that the cause of Thorn’s illness was unclear, saying, “We’re thinking what everyone is thinking: that it’s probably the river. But we don’t know. It could be the river; it could be the chicken.”
Looking Ahead
The Belgian committee expressed hope that lessons will be learned for future triathlon events at the Olympics, emphasizing the need for clear communication about training days, competition formats, and overall safety to avoid uncertainty for athletes, their teams, and supporters.
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