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Olympic team with athlete who ‘saw things they didn’t want to think about’ in River Seine pulls out of event through illness

Home> News> Sport

Published 12:09 5 Aug 2024 GMT+1

Olympic team with athlete who ‘saw things they didn’t want to think about’ in River Seine pulls out of event through illness

An Olympic athlete 'withdrew from the competition'

Anish Vij

Anish Vij

A nation was forced to pull out of the mixed relay triathlon in the Seine due to the illness of one of its athletes.

The heavily polluted river has been a controversial talking-point as locals were threatening to take a s**t in the water in demonstration prior to the Paris Games.

Even though a whopping £1.18 billion was spent in cleaning up the Seine, athletes have complained about its state.

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While Canada’s Tyler Mislawchuk vomited after swimming in the river, Belgian triathlete Jolien Vermeylen, who's been competing at the Paris Olympics, told VTW: "I drank a lot of water, so we’ll know tomorrow if I’m sick or not. It doesn’t taste like Coca-Cola or Sprite, of course.

Tyler Mislawchuk vomited after the men's triathlon. (Eurosport)
Tyler Mislawchuk vomited after the men's triathlon. (Eurosport)

"While swimming under the bridge, I felt and saw things that we shouldn’t think about too much.

"The Seine has been dirty for a hundred years, so they can’t say that the safety of the athletes is a priority.

"That’s bulls**t!"

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Belgium announced on Sunday (4 August) that it would not be taking part in the mixed relay event on Monday (5 August) after triathlete Claire Michel fell ill.

Michel ended in 38th place in the women’s triathlon competition last week.

Team Belgium said in a statement: "The COIB and Belgian Triathlon must unfortunately announce that the 'Belgian Hammers' will not start the mixed relay of the Paris Olympic Games tomorrow.

"The decision, like this communication, was taken in consultation with the athletes and the entourage.

"Claire Michel, a member of the relay, is unfortunately sick and must withdraw from the competition.

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"Member of the COIB and World Triathlon Athletes' Commission, she is committed to continuously evaluating and improving the conditions of athletes.

Claire Michel had to pull out due to illness. (Jorge Luis Alvarez Pupo/LatinContent via Getty Images)
Claire Michel had to pull out due to illness. (Jorge Luis Alvarez Pupo/LatinContent via Getty Images)

"The COIB and Belgian Triathlon hope that lessons will be learned for the next triathlon competitions at the Olympic Games.

"We are thinking here of the guarantee of training days, competition days and the format of competitions, which must be clarified in advance and ensure that there is no uncertainty for athletes, the entourage and supporters."

A source from the Belgian team told BBC Sport that Michel has not contracted E. coli.

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World Triathlon has insisted that it has undergone appropriate measures to ensure athlete safety is adhered to.

"Paris 2024 and World Triathlon reiterate that their priority is the health of the athletes," the sports governing body said.

As the mixed relay triathlon took place this morning, it was Team GB who won the bronze medal, behind the US in second and Germany who took home the gold.

Featured Image Credit: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images/Martin Bureau - Pool/Getty Images

Topics: Sport, Olympics

Anish Vij
Anish Vij

Anish is a Journalist at LADbible Group and is a GG2 Young Journalist of the Year 2025. He has a Master's degree in Multimedia Journalism and a Bachelor's degree in International Business Management. Apart from that, his life revolves around the ‘Four F’s’ - family, friends, football and food. Email: [email protected]

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@Anish_Vij

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  • Olympic Triathlete who swam in the Seine says that she 'felt and saw things she didn't want to think about'
  • Olympic Triathlete who threw up '10 times' after swimming in River Seine explains what actually made him sick
  • Olympic athlete who’s won two medals at Paris 2024 while ‘rawdogging’ event explains how he does it
  • Olympic Triathlete throws up after swimming in River Seine after concerns about pollution levels

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