PARIS − The Belgian triathlon team pulled out of Monday’s planned mixed relay event in the Seine river because one of its athletes, Claire Michel, got sick, according to the country’s national Olympic committee.
The Belgian team shared the news in a statement on the same day that Olympic organizers canceled a training session for the swimming leg of the race because the Seine failed to meet water-quality tests. It also comes as a report surfaced in Belgian media claiming Michel is hospitalized with an E. coli infection.
Michel competed in Wednesday’s women’s triathlon.
USA TODAY could not confirm the report about Michel’s alleged hospitalization or the E. coli infection. It appeared in Belgian newspaper De Standaard. The Belgian Olympic Committee would not comment directly on the claims. World Triathlon, the sport’s international body, said it was not aware of the report. Nor was the International Olympic Committee, according to spokesman Mark Adams, which said it was looking into the report.
The Belgian Olympic Committee and Belgian Triathlon, the nation’s domestic governing body, said they hope ‘to learn lessons for future triathlon competitions. These include training days that can be guaranteed, race days and formats that are clear in advance and conditions that do not create uncertainty for athletes, entourage and fans.’
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The water-quality tests monitor the Seine river’s E. coli levels. Those levels have fluctuated during the Paris Olympics − increasing after days of rainfall, then falling back during drier spells. E. coli bacteria can cause stomach and intestinal problems that can be short-lived, or longer-term more serious and debilitating infections.
Concerns about the Seine river’s cleanliness have dogged Olympic organizers. Despite much public skepticism they have sought to portray a swimmable Seine as one of the Paris Games’ potential defining legacies. After 100 years of being closed off to the public, there are plans to open three Seine bathing sites to the public in 2025.
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