Multiple Olympic athletes have fallen ill after swimming in the potentially bacteria-filled Seine in Paris during the 2024 Olympic games.
For weeks now, many have been concerned about whether the Seine would be clean enough for athletes to swim and compete in it. Now, worries have escalated after these health scares.
A Belgium Athlete Has Fallen Ill
Belgium announced that Claire Michel, an Olympic swimmer, would not be competing in the triathlon mixed relay event on Monday after she fell ill over the weekend.
Unfortunately, Michel is now too ill to participate in this event in any capacity. New reporting is coming out to reveal just how sick she was.
Olympic Triathlete Hospitalized
According to officials, Michel became sick after she competed in the women’s triathlon on Wednesday, swimming in the Seine in the process.
She was hospitalized on Sunday. However, she became well enough to return to the Olympic Village later that Sunday, though she cannot compete this upcoming week.
Belgium’s Response
The Belgian Olympic Committee released a statement explaining that Michel would have to withdraw from the upcoming competition on Monday.
“Claire Michel, a member of the relay team, is unfortunately ill and must withdraw from the competition,” the committee said.
Will Lessons Be Learned?
The Belgian Olympic Committee also wrote that they hope lessons will be learned from Michel’s sickness.
They added, “We are thinking here of the guarantee of training days, competition days and the competition format, which must be clarified in advance to ensure that there is no uncertainty for athletes, entourage and supporters.”
Other Athletes Have Fallen Sick
Michele isn’t the only sick athlete in the Olympic Village at the moment. Swiss officials have also revealed that triathlete Adrien Briffod is sick with a stomach infection.
Similarly to Michel, Briffod also competed on Wednesday and swam in the Seine.
Athletes Are Falling Sick One by One
On Sunday, yet another Swiss athlete fell down with illness — this time, Briffod’s own replacement, Simon Westermann.
Westermann had to withdraw from the upcoming competition because of a gastrointestinal infection. Interestingly, Westermann hadn’t swam in the Seine at all.
Yet Another Illness
Finally, Vetle Bergsvik Thorn, a Norwegian triathlete, also fell ill just one day after competing in the men’s triathlon last week.
However, Norwegian officials have clarified that they’re not sure that the Seine is responsible for this sickness, as it could actually be food poisoning.
Is Food Poisoning to Blame?
Arild Tveiten, the Norwegian Triathlon Federation’s sports director, explained that Thorn’s doctor is leaning towards food poisoning.
“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,” Tveiten said.
Bacteria in the Seine
Potential bacteria and pollution in the Seine have long been a worry for many analysts and Olympic officials.
On Saturday and Sunday, test swims in the Seine were canceled, even though they had long been scheduled, because bacteria levels in the water had become too high.
Monday’s Competition Stays Scheduled
However, even though Saturday and Sunday saw these cancellations, Olympic organizers clarified that Monday would still hold its mixed relay triathlon.
This announcement came about late on Sunday — and some have been shocked by organizers allowing the competition to continue.
Scrutiny on the Seine
Thanks to these various illnesses, even more scrutiny will be on the Seine, especially as more Olympic athletes compete by swimming in the river.
Even with these notable illnesses — and the fact that the bacteria was too high on Saturday and Sunday — Olympic organizers have stated that it is safe to swim within the Seine’s waters.
