Since the beginning of the Games last month, there have been worries about the water quality of the river flowing through the center of Paris. In fact, organizers had to postpone triathlon events because of pollution.
Now that the water has been used for races, two of the swimmers who competed in the Seine have pulled out owing to sickness.
Claire Michel of Belgium placed 38th in the women’s triathlon last week, but she withdrew from today’s mixed-race event due to illness. The race took place on August 5.
Consequently, the whole Belgian squad had to pull out of the competition. The nation expressed its desire that “lessons will be learned for future triathlon competitions at the Olympic Games” in a statement.
“It is crucial to clarify training days, competition days, and the format of the competition in advance so that the athletes, entourage, and supporters are not left in the dark,” they said.
