The upcoming mixed relay triathlon at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games has been thrust into the spotlight for reasons far beyond athletic performance. Belgium has withdrawn from the event, and Switzerland has been forced to alter its lineup after several athletes from both countries fell ill following their participation in the individual triathlon races held earlier last week. These developments have raised concerns over the health and safety measures in place for the 2024 Olympics Games, particularly regarding the quality of water in the River Seine, where the swimming leg of the triathlon takes place.
Belgium withdraws amid health concerns
Belgium made the difficult decision to pull out of the mixed relay triathlon, citing the illness of one of its key athletes, Claire Michel. The Belgian National Olympic Committee (BOIC) announced the withdrawal on Sunday, stating that Michel’s condition, which has not been specified, necessitated her withdrawal from the competition. Michel had competed in the women’s triathlon on Wednesday, where she finished 38th, after swimming in the Seine, a river that has been under scrutiny for its water quality.
In a statement, the BOIC expressed regret over the decision but emphasised that it was made in the best interest of the athlete’s health. “The BOIC and Belgian Triathlon must unfortunately announce that the ‘Belgian Hammers’ will not be starting the mixed relay at the Paris Olympic Games tomorrow. The decision, like this communication, was taken in consultation with the athletes and their entourage,” the statement read.
The statement also contained pointed criticism directed at the event organisers, urging them to learn from this situation to improve future competitions. “The COIB and Belgian Triathlon hope that lessons will be learned for future triathlon competitions at the Olympic Games, such as guaranteeing training days, competition days, and the competition format, which must be clarified in advance and ensure that there is no uncertainty for the athletes and support personnel,” CNN quoted the BOIC as saying.
Swiss team forced to make last-minute changes
The Swiss team has also been affected, with triathlete Adrien Briffod being replaced by Simon Westermann due to a gastrointestinal infection. The Swiss Olympic Chief Medical Officer, Hanspeter Betschart, noted that while it is unclear whether Briffod’s illness is directly related to the Seine’s water quality, the situation remains concerning. Betschart mentioned that a survey of medical officers from other countries had not revealed a significant increase in gastrointestinal illnesses among athletes who competed in the individual races.
Water quality in the Seine: A point of contention
The quality of water in the River Seine has been a contentious issue since it was announced that several swimming events would take place there during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. The river, which has been illegal for swimming for nearly a century, underwent significant clean-up efforts in preparation for the Games, with approximately $1.5 billion spent on improving its water quality. Paris officials have touted these efforts, with Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo and the French sports minister both taking public dips in the river to demonstrate their confidence in its safety.
However, the situation remains fluid, as the water quality can quickly deteriorate following rainfall. Heavy rains last weekend led to concerns about the river’s suitability for swimming, with the men’s individual triathlon race being postponed by a day due to poor water conditions. Despite this, Paris 2024 and World Triathlon announced that the water quality had improved sufficiently to allow both the women’s and men’s individual races to proceed on Wednesday.
In a joint statement, Paris 2024 and World Triathlon said, “Following a meeting on water quality held on 31 July at 3:30 am attended by Paris 2024, representatives of World Triathlon and their Technical and Medical Delegates, Mteo France, the City of Paris, and the Prefecture of the Île-de-France Region involved in carrying out water quality tests, the stakeholders involved have confirmed that the women’s and the men’s triathlons will go ahead as planned on 31 July at 8 am and 10:45 am respectively.”
Mixed relay triathlon to proceed as planned
Despite the setbacks for Belgium and Switzerland, the mixed relay triathlon is set to go ahead as planned on Monday. World Triathlon and Paris 2024 have assured that the latest water quality tests show an improvement, and the conditions are deemed acceptable for the competition.
“The latest analysis results confirm that the water quality of the Seine at the triathlon site has improved over the past few hours, and prospective analyses indicate that the water quality will be within acceptable limits by World Triathlon. As a result, World Triathlon has made the decision this evening to continue the competition,” read a statement issued by the event organisers.
Athletes’ trust in organisers
The athletes have largely placed their trust in the event organizers, relying on their assurances that the water quality is safe for competition. Julie Derron, the women’s silver medal winner from Switzerland, expressed confidence in the measures taken by the authorities. “The swimming was fine during the race. We know that they took samples this morning. They take a lot of time to analyze, so obviously we don’t know the results. We all trust the authorities and the organizers that they keep us safe. And so we had a safe race today,” Derron said.
Similarly, Alex Yee, the men’s gold medal winner, praised the organizers for their efforts. “We’re lucky enough to have probably the most beautiful venue of any race in the Olympics. And I guess that came with a small penalty of the risk of the Seine being dirty,” Yee said.
The challenge of keeping the Seine clean
The decision to hold events in the Seine was part of a broader effort to showcase Paris as a city committed to sustainability and environmental improvement. However, maintaining the river’s water quality has proven to be a significant challenge, particularly in the face of unpredictable weather patterns.
One of the key infrastructure projects aimed at addressing pollution in the river is the Austerlitz basin, a new rainwater storage facility that can hold the equivalent of 20 Olympic-sized swimming pools of water. This basin has already been put to the test, successfully preventing 40,000 cubic meters of wastewater and rainwater from being discharged into the Seine following heavy rainfall in June.
Despite these efforts, the water quality remains a sensitive issue, with E. coli levels spiking following heavy rains. Data from June 30 showed that E. coli levels at Alexandra III Bridge, where the race begins, had reached 2000 CFU/100mL, double the threshold for “good” water quality as defined by World Triathlon standards.
(With agency inputs)
First Published: Aug 05 2024 | 12:18 PM IST