PARIS.- He Olympic Committee of Belgium announced on Sunday that he had withdrawn his team from the mixed relay of the triathlon of the Paris Olympicsafter one of her competitors who swam in the Seine River fell ill.
Claire Michel, who competed in the women’s triathlon on Wednesday, “is unfortunately ill and we have to withdraw from the competition,” the Belgian committee said in a statement.
The organizers of Paris 2024 did not immediately comment.
The mixed triathlon will be held on Monday, with the swimming portion scheduled for the Seine. The statement did not mention what condition Michel suffers from, but the situation comes amid fears about the quality of the water in the river.
Organizers said bacteria levels in the river were at a level considered safe for athletes.
Organisers had said water quality tests carried out on the day of the individual triathlons showed “very good” bacteria levels.
Daily water quality tests measure levels of faecal bacteria, including E. coli, in the waters of the Seine. World Triathlon’s water safety guidelines and a 2006 European Union guideline assign qualitative values to a range of E. coli levels.
According to World Triathlon guidelines, E. coli levels of up to 1,000 colony-forming units per 100 millilitres can be considered “good” and may allow competitions to go ahead.
Continuous assessment
World Triathlon’s medical committee said it considers water quality analysis, health inspection and weather forecasts to determine whether a race will go ahead. Decisions are made in meetings on the day of the event, early in the morning.
The Belgian committee said it “hopes that lessons will be learned for future triathlons at the Olympic Games.”
Source: AP