Olympics: Belgian triathlete suffers from E.coli infection days after swimming in Seine
The Olympic mixed triathlon relay started on Monday without Belgium. The Belgian Hammers had to withdraw due to the illness of triathlete Claire Michel, due to an E.coli infection, probably caused by swimming in the Seine, De Standaard writes.
Soon after the Belgian Hammers' withdrawal, rumours circulated that Michel had been in hospital for four days. Late on Sunday evening, the Belgian Olympic Committee (BOIC) denied the reports and said she had been transferred to the outpatient clinic in the Olympic Village on Sunday morning and returned to her room later in the day.
According to Het Nieuwsblad, Michel is suffering from an E.coli infection, with the most likely cause being swimming in the Seine during the individual triathlon on Wednesday. "I felt and saw things that we shouldn’t think about too much," teammate Jolien Vermeylen said after her race.
"I felt and saw things that we shouldn’t think about too much"
Michel is not the only triathlete to have fallen ill. The Swiss triathlon team was forced to change its line-up for the mixed relay after Adrien Briffod, who also swam in the Seine on Wednesday, fell ill with a stomach infection. According to a Swiss official, it is "impossible to say" whether he had fallen ill because of the Seine's polluted water.
Controversial topic
The water quality of the Seine has long been an issue in the run-up to the Olympics. Several training sessions were cancelled and the men's individual race was postponed by a day because of the poor water quality. The BOIC remains vague on the issue, saying only that it hopes "lessons will be learned for future triathlon competitions".
In any case, the water was deemed clean enough for the mixed relay. "The latest tests show that the quality of the Seine water has improved over the last few hours and that everything is within World Triathlon limits," the organising committee and World Triathlon said on Sunday evening.
© BELGA PHOTO JASPER JACOBS
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