Belgium triathlete Claire Michel has been taken to the hospital after becoming ill. The team’s mixed relay for tomorrow has scratched as Michel has had to withdraw.
According to the Belgium news outlet, De Standaard, Michel is sick after becoming infected with E. Coli. Michel was one of 55 women to dive in the Seine River for the women’s triathlon this past Wednesday. She finished 38th overall.
Team Belgium released a statement saying:
“The BOIC and Belgian Triathlon unfortunately have to announce that the Belgian Hammers will not start in the Mixed Relay competition at the Paris Games tomorrow. This decision, as well as the communication about it, was taken in consultation with the athletes and the entourage.
Claire Michel, one of the athletes in the mixed relay team, unfortunately has to withdraw from the competition due to illness.
Claire Michel is a member of both the BOIC and World Triathlon Athlete Commissions. As an athlete representative, she is committed to continuously evaluating and improving conditions for athletes.
The BOIC and Belgian Triathlon hope that lessons will be learned for future triathlon competitions. 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, entourage and fans.”
The Seine River had high levels of pollution leading up to the triathlon events as training sessions were canceled the Sunday and Monday before the race. In addition, the men’s race, originally scheduled for Tuesday, was pushed back to the same day as the women’s events due to poor water quality caused by bacteria such as E. Coli. E. Coli levels have been high in the Seine River, including 10x too high just over a month before the Olympics began.
The triathlon events from this past Wednesday had water qualify test results “very close to the threshold of triathlon”Aurelie Merle, the Paris 2024 Director of Sports said.
The open water swimming events are also scheduled to take place in the Seine later this week with the women’s 10km race scheduled for Thursday and the men’s 10km race on Friday. The triathlon notably had a much shorter swimming portion of only 1.5km.
World Aquatics notably has different acceptable limits for E.Coli and other bacterial levels compared to World Triathlon:
World Aquatics requirements for inland waterways:
● Enterococci score: <200 is Excellent; <400 is Good; >400 is Unacceptable
● E. Coli score: <500 is Excellent; <1,000 is Good; >1,000 is Unacceptable
World Triathlon requirements for inland waterways:
● Enterococci score: <200 is Excellent; <400 is Good; <330 is Sufficient
● E. Coli score: <500 is Excellent; <1,000 is Good; <900 is Sufficient
What were the levels on race day?
I wish Claire a speedy recovery.
Well done Olympic organisers 👏
Disgusting. The river and the host (ir)responsibility
Would never swim in that no matter what. Not worth it.
Was a matter of time. A massive lawsuit incoming.
I get there are probably waivers/etc., but this should be a lawsuit against the French Olympic Committee. Not sure of the French laws/code, but this has to be some kind of breach of a duty of care by the Olympic Committee
I don’t know about France but I doubt a waiver for this would hold up in Australia.
So glad we get to cap this olympics off with this mess
France has been an abysmal host
In all seriousness, fast recovery and best wishes go out to Claire!