Belgian 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.
UPDATE: Michel has announced that she was infected with a virus, not E. Coli. She posted this announcement via Instagram, “Blood tests showed that I contracted a virus (not E. Coli). After three days of vomiting and diarrhea, which left me quite empty, I ended up needing more significant medical attention and spent the Sunday at the clinic.”
According to the Belgium news outlet, De Standaard, Michel is sick after becoming infected with E. Coli (see update above). 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
This is the first reported one we’ve heard of and there’s likely more to come especially if they use it for open water. Once the games are over they will say it is no longer safe to swim in. The city should be sued for negligence they’ve put the health of so many athletes at risk
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/sport/524260/paris-olympics-hayden-wilde-falls-sick-with-e-coli-after-seine-swim?fbclid=IwY2xjawEeNxZleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHeBc0oJBJhgSP5HNUvtvnR08caV5mbCUfWKUTdoRlAGNKNBKhPRMbt6obw_aem_Gv4NPu_IzX0FfLuDWZBsRA0
The Seine is an open sewer. The concentration of animals in cities is very high compared to natural averages, and there is no oxygenating rapids or turbulent flow. Runoff is not controllable by public health authorities. It’s NUTS to have a swimming competition in a river that runs through a city like this.
In Seine competed over 100athletes and only one ilness person. Good job France. Raini days only is not enough stable..
There have been more, at least 1 more – from Sweden – plus it would need to be reported in media and for SwimSwam people to find it or have it reported to them.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/sport/524260/paris-olympics-hayden-wilde-falls-sick-with-e-coli-after-seine-swim?fbclid=IwY2xjawEeNxZleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHeBc0oJBJhgSP5HNUvtvnR08caV5mbCUfWKUTdoRlAGNKNBKhPRMbt6obw_aem_Gv4NPu_IzX0FfLuDWZBsRA
And btw…why should an athlete who has trained their entire life for this have to make the decision between getting sick (and possibly dying) or being an Olympian??? Shame on the city and shame on the IOC for putting these athletes in danger!!!!
The incubation time for E-coli contamination is 3 days.
The race was 4 days ago, and the Belgian team says she’s been unwell for 4 days.
It’s very unlikely that she was contaminated by the river
If this is the case then the contamination came in the village (assuming the Belgian team stays there, unfortunately for them) and then it is even worse.
The tone of the release makes it rather clear that the Seine is the likely culprit. Now that we know that a plan B does exist for open water, it would be judicious to use it.
From the Mayo Clinic. “Signs and symptoms of E. coli infection usually begin three or four days after exposure to the bacteria. But you may become ill as soon as one day after exposure to more than a week later.” Note the comment AS SOON AS ONE DAY. It was extremely likely due to the river.
Incubation to infectious symptoms is not always an exact science, my friend. You’re splitting hairs here with 4 days versus 3 days.
They had the surfing in Tahiti. But the triathlon and open water swimming just had to be in the Seine…
I’m sorry but if people are falling ill after a 1.5km swim, there is no way in the world people should be even entertaining the idea of a 10km swim in the same filth.
https://nbc24.com/news/nation-world/olympics-jolien-vermeylen-dirty-seine-river-felt-and-saw-things-that-we-shouldnt-think-about-olympics-swimmer-cincinnati-recalls-polluted-paris-ingested-water-e-coli-bacteria-ten-times-over-acceptable-levels-fecal-matter-diarrhea-urinary-tract-infection
Wait till they see the LA river….
Ocean (Long Beach) for LA so different circumstances then a river and honestly better then the Paris location as the chosen location is constantly used for open water and triathlon competitions.
During the women’s road cycling race on Sunday they used many overhead shots of the Seine. It was unbelievable how filthy it looked or that it was used for anything during these Games.