Olympic triathletes fall ill after River Seine swims. What we know so far

Some Olympic triathletes who swam successful nan River Seine person fallen sick and were forced to propulsion retired of title this week amid concerns astir nan river’s h2o value – a simmering rumor plaguing Paris 2024 organizers.

Team Belgium withdrew from Monday’s mixed relay triathlon aft 1 of its athletes, who competed successful nan women’s individual triathlon arena past week, sewage ill.

Meanwhile, Switzerland had to revise its own mixed relay lineup not erstwhile but twice owed to gastrointestinal infections affecting 2 of its athletes – one of whom had competed successful nan men’s individual triathlon arena held successful nan Seine connected July 31.

The Associated Press besides reported that a female triathlete from Sweden and a men’s triathlete from Norway sewage sick aft competing successful their individual events successful nan Seine past week.

It’s not yet clear if nan illnesses were owed to Seine’s h2o value – which has been a constant interest successful nan lead-up to and passim nan Games.

In an emailed connection to Global News connected Tuesday, a Paris 2024 spokesperson said “the wellness and well-being of athletes is our apical priority.”

“With respect to competitions held successful nan Seine, h2o value tests are carried retired regular and nan determination connected whether to proceed pinch an arena is taken by nan International Federation, World Triathlon, successful coordination pinch Paris 2024, and based connected nan trial results and a scope of (notably health) criteria,” nan spokesperson said.

Bacteria levels had forced organizers to postpone nan men’s triathlon by 1 time past week.

After days of uncertainty, much than 100 triathletes dipped into nan Seine to compete successful nan men’s and women’s individual races past week.

On Tuesday, a trial tally meant to let Olympic athletes to familiarize themselves pinch nan marathon swimming people successful nan Seine was cancelled complete h2o value concerns.

The cancellation of Tuesday’s marathon swimming trial arena comes a time aft nan triathlon mixed relay arena was held successful nan stream that runs done nan centre of nan French capital.

World Triathlon released information connected Tuesday showing that erstwhile nan triathletes swam successful nan mixed relay connected Monday, nan levels of fecal germs E. coli and enterococci were wrong acceptable levels for nan magnitude of nan triathlon relay course.

At slightest 4 triathletes person been reported sick successful caller days pursuing their aquatics successful nan Seine past week.

The Belgian Olympic and Interfederal Committee (BOIC) said successful a connection connected Sunday that triathlete Claire Michel was “unfortunately sick and must retreat from nan (mixed relay) competition.” Michel had competed successful nan women’s individual arena connected July 31.

“The BOIC and Belgian Triathlon dream that lessons will beryllium learned for nan adjacent triathlon competitions astatine nan Olympic Games,” nan committee said.

Swiss officials announced connected Saturday that triathlete Adrien Briffod, who besides had competed successful nan Seine connected Wednesday, would not compete Monday after falling sick pinch a tummy infection. On Sunday, they announced that Simon Westermann, who had been tapped to switch Briffod, besides had to retreat because of a gastrointestinal infection. Westermann had not participated successful immoderate swims successful nan Seine.

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Vetle Bergsvik Thorn of Norway, who competed connected Monday, besides became sick successful caller days. He said he had a bad tummy unwellness for astir 12 hours but said “it’s difficult to opportunity if it’s nan stream aliases conscionable immoderate mean nutrient poisoning.”

“It’s been rather a fewer stressful days pinch not knowing if we tin aquatics aliases not,” he said.

Swedish triathlete Tilda Månsson sewage sick connected Saturday, 3 days aft competing successful nan women’s triathlon, according to Swedish Olympic Committee spokesperson Lars Markusson. Though nan origin of her unwellness was unclear, Markusson told Swedish broadcaster SVT that “since others person besides go sick possibly you don’t request to beryllium a expert to tie nan conclusion that it had to do pinch nan swimming successful nan Seine.”

Global News is awaiting a consequence from nan Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) astir immoderate concerns aliases illnesses affecting its triathletes.

Two much Olympic events are near to beryllium held astatine nan Seine pinch nan women’s marathon aquatics scheduled for Thursday and nan men’s marathon aquatics scheduled for Friday.

Before nan commencement of nan Sumer Games, experts had warned astir nan imaginable wellness risks of swimming successful polluted h2o for athletes.

In a erstwhile question and reply pinch Global News, Ted Steiner, an infectious illness expert astatine Vancouver General Hospital, said though E. coli infection successful h2o tin hap successful definite cases, it’s typically not nan biggest concern.

E. coli is simply a marker that location whitethorn beryllium different parasites, germs aliases viruses that could perchance beryllium much contagious, Steiner said past month.

“The interest for swimmers is that arsenic they’re breathing, they tin surely get immoderate h2o successful their rima and swallow capable perchance to get a ample capable dose to get sick,” he said.

Bacteria associated pinch fecal contamination tin lead to gastrointestinal infections, causing an upset stomach, vomiting and diarrhea and location is besides a consequence of infecting nan ears and respiratory tract, said Marc Habash, an subordinate professor astatine nan University of Guelph’s schoolhouse of biology sciences.

— pinch files from The Associated Press.