After shocking testimonies from swimmers participating in the Paris Olympics about the pollution of the Seine River, the decision of the Belgian Olympic Committee on Sunday not to participate in the mixed relay race after the player Claire Michel fell ill, casting further doubts about the levels of pollution in the river.
Olympic swimmers have given shocking testimonies after their experience swimming in the Seine.
Belgian triathlete Juliane Vermeulen said she felt a “strange taste” and saw “strange things that I don't want to remember” while swimming under a bridge in the River Seine during the 1,500-meter race at the start of the women's triathlon on Wednesday.
There were also individual cases of some swimmers vomiting after swimming in the river, including Canadian triathlete Taylor Mislauchuk, who finished ninth in the race, who reported vomiting 10 times, according to the British newspaper Daily Mail.
The men's triathlon was postponed on Wednesday, just hours before it was due to start, after water quality tests in the river revealed unhealthy levels of pollution, prompting outrage among participants.
Unpleasant footage from the Paris Olympics has gone viral online: a 🇨🇦Canadian triathlete vomited live after a swim in the Seine River 🤷♂️🙈🤦♂️ pic.twitter.com/ksqkMdCR4u
— Roberto (@UniqueMongolia) August 1, 2024
Belgium withdrawal
The Belgian Olympic Committee said on Sunday that its team will not participate in the mixed relay in the triathlon competition at the Paris Olympics on Monday after player Claire Michel fell ill.
“Claire Michel, who competes in the relay, is unfortunately ill and must withdraw from the competition,” the Belgian Olympic Committee said in a statement.
“The Belgian Olympic Committee and the Belgian Triathlon Federation hope that lessons will be learned for future competitions at the Olympics. We are thinking of ensuring training days, competition days and the competition format, which must be clarified in advance to ensure that there are no doubts for athletes, delegations and fans,” she added.
The International Triathlon Federation said there had been no contact with the Belgian team.
“The team (Belgium) announced their entry list and their bike registration this morning. We have not received any further communication from them,” a spokesperson for the International Triathlon Union said in a statement.
Training sessions for the triathlon were cancelled due to poor water quality in the River Seine, and the men's event was postponed to last Wednesday, the same day as the women's event.
Organizers said Sunday they were confident the relay would go ahead despite training being cancelled.