Belgium’s Olympic committee announced on Sunday that it would withdraw its team from the mixed relay triathlon at the Paris Olympics after one of its competitors who swam in the Seine River fell ill.
Claire Michel, who competed in the women’s triathlon last Wednesday, became ill and will be unable to continue, according to a statement from the Belgian Olympic and Interfederal Committee.
Although Paris 2024 organizers have not released an immediate statement on Michel’s condition, they confirmed on Sunday night that the mixed relay triathlon would go ahead as scheduled on Monday at 8 a.m., with the swim portion still planned for the Seine.
While the Belgian committee did not specify the nature of Michel’s illness, the announcement follows ongoing concerns about the water quality of the Seine. Organizers had previously assured that water quality tests conducted on the day of the individual triathlon races showed “very good” bacteria levels.
Sunday night, representatives from World Triathlon, the International Olympic Committee, Paris Games organizers, and regional and weather authorities reviewed updated water tests. Results showed improved water quality at the triathlon site, within the acceptable limits set by World Triathlon.
Daily water quality tests in the Seine measure levels of fecal bacteria, including E. coli. According to World Triathlon’s guidelines, E. coli levels of up to 1,000 colony-forming units per 100 milliliters are considered “good” and allow competitions to proceed.
World Triathlon’s medical committee evaluates water quality analysis, sanitary inspections, and weather forecasts to decide if events should continue. Typically, decisions are made in early morning meetings on the day of events. However, the decision to confirm the race would proceed on Monday night was made to provide athletes with more time for preparation.
It’s Day 9 of the Paris Olympics, notable events include American Noah Lyles winning the Olympic 100-meter final by a margin of five-thousandths of a second, and Novak Djokovic securing his first Olympic gold in men’s tennis singles by defeating Carlos Alcaraz. Belgium withdrew from the mixed relay triathlon following illness of its athlete Claire Michel.
Leading up to the individual triathlon events, water quality concerns had already led organizers to cancel the swimming portions of two test runs designed to help athletes familiarize themselves with the course, and to delay the men’s race by a day. Test swims in the Seine were also canceled over the weekend before the triathlon mixed relay event due to poor bacteria levels.
The Belgian committee expressed hope that lessons would be learned for future Olympic triathlon competitions, emphasizing the need for clarity in training days, competition days, and formats to remove uncertainty for athletes, their entourages, and supporters.
Swiss officials reported Saturday that triathlete Adrien Briffod, also a competitor in Wednesday’s Seine events, became ill with a stomach infection. Though it remains uncertain if his illness was related to the swim, officials noted no other delegations reported similar issues among their athletes. On Sunday, it was revealed that Simon Westermann, replacing Briffod, had also withdrawn due to a gastrointestinal infection, despite not swimming in the Seine. The Swiss team still planned to compete in the mixed relay on Monday.
Norwegian triathlete Vetle Bergsvik Thorn experienced illness a day after participating in the men’s triathlon, attributing his upset stomach and vomiting to potential food poisoning rather than the river’s water. Thorn said he felt better and intended to compete in the mixed relay.
Arild Tveiten, sports director of the Norwegian Triathlon Federation, indicated that the cause of Thorn’s illness was still uncertain, noting, “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.”
Marathon swimming events are set for Thursday and Friday in the Seine, with caution following the recent illnesses. Daniel Wiffen of Ireland, a bronze medalist in the men’s 1,500-meter freestyle, confirmed he would refrain from training in the Seine to avoid possible sickness, opting instead to train in Paris pools, even if it means “going in blind.”
