The Olympic triathlon mixed relay went ahead Monday morning in Paris, but one team opted not to participate. Belgium pulled out because Claire Michel got sick after swimming in the Seine Wednesday.
The Belgian outlet De Standaard reported Sunday that Michel had been sick for four days before going to the hospital, and contracted an E. coli infection. World Triathlon and the Belgian team have not yet said what Michel was sick with. E. coli, along with enterococci, are fecal bacteria whose levels rise when heavy rainfall overwhelms the system and dumps untreated sewage into the Seine. This still happens despite a $1.5 billion renovation to Paris’ sewer systems, including a massive storage tank underneath the city that can hold 13 million gallons of liquid, or enough to fill 20 Olympic-sized swimming pools.
Adrien Briffod of Switzerland contracted a gastrointestinal infection after swimming in the river, though the Swiss Olympic team said it’s “impossible to say” whether his illness was linked to water quality.
“Water samples taken in the Seine on the morning of the individual triathlon events showed the quality to be at a level considered ‘very good’ by World Triathlon’s criteria, according to results analysed and released the following day,” Paris organizers said in a statement.
The men’s individual race was pushed from Tuesday to Wednesday after rainfall lowered the water quality. Practice time has also been limited due to bacteria levels, with practice for the swimming leg of the triathlon canceled for two consecutive days last week.
“The BOIC and Belgian Triathlon hope that lessons will be learned for future triathlon competitions,” Team Belgium said in a statement announcing its withdrawal, translated from Dutch. “We are thinking of training days that can be guaranteed, competition days and formats that are clear in advance and circumstances that do not cause uncertainty among athletes, support personnel and fans.”
On Sunday night, water quality tests showed the Seine would be safe by Monday morning’s event, organizers promised. The relay went ahead as planned, with Germany securing gold, the U.S. earning silver, and Great Britain winning bronze.
Swimming in the Seine hasn’t wrapped yet. Marathon swimming is scheduled for Thursday for women and Friday for men.
