The Paris 2024 Olympic Games have encountered a new challenge as the Belgian Olympic team withdrew from Monday’s mixed relay triathlon. According to NPR, the decision came after one of their athletes, Claire Michel, fell ill following last Wednesday’s main triathlon event where athletes swam in the Seine river.
Belgium’s Olympic committee announced that Michel had to withdraw due to illness, forcing the entire team’s forfeit from the mixed relay competition because a replacement wasn’t available. While the official statement did not specify the nature of Michel’s illness, Belgian newspaper De Standaard reported that she was hospitalized and treated for an E. coli infection on Sunday. Food Poisoning News reported last month that elevated levels of E. coli bacteria were causing concern among competitors and officials.
Besides Michel, The Telegraph reported today that Swiss triathlete Adrien Briffod was also suffering from gastrointestinal distress. Like the Belgian statement, the Swiss team’s comment also did not link the source of the illness.
The situation worsened when Olympic organizers canceled a planned practice swim for triathletes on Sunday due to poor water quality test results. Heavy rains earlier in the week reportedly overwhelmed Paris’s aging sewer system, potentially leading to untreated sewage leaking into the Seine and increasing E. coli bacteria levels.
This incident has cast doubt on the effectiveness of France’s extensive efforts to clean up the Seine. The country invested over $1 billion in river cleanup initiatives, aiming to make the once-polluted waterway safe for swimming after more than a century of prohibition. Just weeks before the Games, Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo had confidently declared the river safe for swimming.
Despite these setbacks, Olympic officials are proceeding with plans for the mixed competition triathlon on Monday and marathon swimming events later in the week. Daily water quality testing will continue to ensure athlete safety.
The Belgian team expressed hope that this incident would lead to improved protocols for future triathlon competitions, emphasizing the need for guaranteed training days, clear competition formats, and conditions that don’t cause uncertainty among athletes and supporters.
Commenting on this story, one national E. coli lawyer said, “Hosting a global wide sport event is a significant challenge with many moving parts. However, the health and safety of athletes must always be the priority and should never be compromised.”
