The swimmability of the Seine is not a factor in the health of Swiss triathletes, no hospitalization for Belgian Claire Michel

The Belgian Olympic Committee and the Belgian Triathlon Federation announced on Sunday that Claire Michel had withdrawn due to illness, four days after taking part in the individual event and swimming in the Seine.

The day after the announcement of the withdrawal of Belgian triathlete Claire Michel from the mixed relay and the renewed debates on the quality of the water in the Seine, the Swiss Triathlon Federation, which has also dealt with sick athletes, clarified on Monday 5 August that there was not necessarily a link between the contaminations and swimming in the Seine.

According to Matthieu Boisseau, journalist for France 2 and franceinfo and specialist in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, the president of the Swiss Triathlon Federation Pascal Salamin has also “gap[é] the bacteria pollution trail” in the Seine. “A. Briffod felt unwell during the race, S. Westermann was a substitute and did not swim in the Seine”he quotes on the social network X.

In a statement, the Belgian Olympic Committee also provided details on Claire Michel’s state of health. “He had the opportunity to correct erroneous information disseminated in the press: contrary to what was indicated, the athlete concerned has not been hospitalized to date”announced the Organizing Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (Cojop).

The announcement of the Belgian triathlete’s withdrawal had rekindled the debate on the quality of the water in the Seine, which has been a question mark since the start of the Games, when the individual events had been postponed and several training sessions for the mixed relays had been cancelled. “There is nothing to suggest that there is a link.” between sick athletes and “water quality” of the Seine, also affirmed Pierre Rabadan, the deputy mayor of Paris in charge of sport, the Olympic and Paralympic Games and the Seine, on the franceinfo channel this Monday.