Many triathlon athletes contracted gastrointestinal diseases and were unable to compete after competing in individual events last week on the Seine River.

The swimming part of the triathlon takes place on the Seine River of France

Belgian media reported that Claire Michel, 35, had to be hospitalized after competing in the women’s individual triathlon on July 31. They suspected that this female athlete had an intestinal infection of E.coli. This information has not been confirmed by the Belgian Olympic Committee or the competent authorities. Michel finished 38th in the competition that day.

Claire Michel (right) is asked by another athlete after performing the women’s individual triathlon on July 31. Photo: AP

Michel’s withdrawal caused the Belgian team to give up in the mixed relay, scheduled to take place today 5/8, due to the lack of a replacement. Michel is not the only case of falling ill after an individual exam.

Swiss athlete Adrien Briffod also had to withdraw from the mixed relay race because of a stomach infection. The Swiss Olympic team said it was “impossible to confirm” whether Briffod’s illness was related to the water quality in the Seine River.

Claire Michel was hospitalized 4 days after swimming in the Seine River

The athlete who was supposed to replace Briffod, Simon Westermann, also had to give up because of a gastrointestinal infection. However, Switzerland has enough substitutes and is expected to still participate in the mixed relay.

Another triathloner, Norway’s Bergsvik Thorn, also fell ill a day after the men’s individual event. Thorn told NRK television that he woke up the next day with abdominal pain and vomiting but suggested that the cause may have been food poisoning, not necessarily river water.

The swimming part of the triathlon (triathlon) at the 2024 Olympics will be held on the Seine River despite the fact that the water quality of this river is not guaranteed. Last week, the organizers canceled the swimming part of the two trial competitions of the men’s individual content due to unsatisfactory water quality measurement results. Men’s personal content after that postponed a day for the same reason.

There is still no certainty that the mixed relay will take place as planned today. The event may be postponed after heavy rains on Wednesday and Thursday caused a surge in bacteria in the water. The joint training session for athletes on the morning of August 4 was canceled. However, the organizers still affirmed that the amount of bacteria in the river is at a safe level for athletes.

The Seine River has always been questioned about its water quality since the start of the 2024 Olympics – Photo: REUTERS

The Belgian Olympic Committee said it hopes lessons will be learned for future Olympic triathlon tournaments. “We hope that the time of training, competition and competition format must be clarified in advance so as not to cause instability to athletes, organizers and fans,” they declared.

Speaking at the IOC’s press conference on the morning of August 4, the communications director of the Paris 2024 Olympics, Anne Descamps, said: “We expect the weather to improve. As we can see, the sun and the temperature are getting better, which will create a positive effect.”