Belgium withdraws from mixed relay triathlon after athlete who swam in Seine River falls ill

PARIS (AP) — Belgium's Olympic committee announced Sunday that it would withdraw its team from the mixed relay triathlon at the Paris Olympics after one of its competitors who swam in the Seine River fell ill.

Claire Michel, who competed in the women's triathlon Wednesday, “is unfortunately ill and will have to withdraw from the competition,” the Belgian Olympic and Interfederal Committee said in a statement.

Paris 2024 organisers had no immediate statement on Michel's illness, but said in a statement Sunday night that the mixed relay triathlon would proceed Monday at 8 a.m. The swim portion of the competition is slated for the Seine, as well.

The Belgian committee's statement did not elaborate on Michel's illness but it comes after concerns over the river's water quality. Organisers had said that water quality tests done the day of the individual triathlon races showed “very good” bacteria levels.

On Sunday night, representatives from World Triathlon and the International Olympic Committee along with Paris Games organisers and regional and weather authorities reviewed water tests. The results indicated the water quality at the triathlon site had improved over recent hours and would be within the limits mandated by World Triathlon.

Daily water quality tests measure levels of the fecal bacteria, including E. coli, in the Seine's waters. World Triathlon's water safety guidelines and a 2006 European Union directive assign qualitative values to a range of E. coli levels.

Under World Triathlon's guidelines, E. coli levels up to 1,000 colony-forming units per 100 millilitres can be considered “good” and can allow competitions to go forward.

World Triathlon's medical committee said it considers water quality analysis, sanitary inspection and the weather forecast when determining whether to go forward with a race. The decisions are made at early morning meetings on the day of the event.

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