Belgium withdraws from mixed relay triathlon after athlete who swam in Seine River hospitalised
Updated . First published
Olympic organisers will have to face their worst fears as an athlete has reportedly been hospitalised just four days after competing in the River Seine.
Belgium's Olympic committee have announced they will withdraw its team from the mixed relay triathlon at the Paris Olympics as Claire Michel recovers from an E. Coli infection caught while swimming in the Seine River.
Belgian newspaper De Standaard reported that Michel was taken to hospital four days after the event to receive treatment.
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Organisers had said that bacteria levels in the river were at a level that was considered safe for the athletes. AP
"She was infected with E. Coli bacteria, an examination revealed. That bacterium can cause gastrointestinal problems. The cause may be the polluted Seine," the paper wrote.
The mixed relay triathlon is scheduled to take place on Monday, with the swim portion of the competition slated for the Seine as well.
Belgium's Olympic committee's statement did not elaborate on Michel's illness but it comes after concerns over the river's water quality.
Organisers had said that bacteria levels in the river were at a level that was considered safe for the athletes.
The Belgian committee said it "hopes that lessons will be learned for future triathlon competitions at the Olympic Games. We are thinking here of the guarantee of training days, competition days and the competition format, which must be clarified in advance and ensure that there is no uncertainty for the athletes, entourage and supporters."
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Claire Michel, of Belgium, is assisted by Lotte Miller of Norway after the finish of the women's individual triathlon competition at the Tokyo Olympics. AP
Swiss officials said on Saturday that triathlete Adrien Briffod, who also competed in the Seine on Wednesday, fell ill with a stomach infection.
But they said it was "impossible to say" whether it was linked to the swim and that the other delegations told them none of their triathletes had reported stomach problems.
Swiss officials said in an update Sunday that Simon Westermann, who had been tapped to replace Briffod, also had to withdraw because of a gastrointestinal infection.
Westermann had not participated in any swims in the Seine, the statement said.
The Swiss team still planned to compete in the mixed relay on Monday, the statement said.
