Belgium has withdrawn from the mixed relay triathlon at the Paris 2024 Olympics, while Switzerland has had to alter its roster due to illnesses among their athletes following initial triathlon events.
Belgium’s withdrawal came after Claire Michel, one of its triathletes, fell ill.
In a statement, the Belgian National Olympic Committee cited Michel’s illness as the reason for the decision but did not specify the nature of her condition.
Michel had competed in the women’s triathlon last Wednesday, where she finished 38th, swimming in the River Seine.
“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. “Claire Michel, a member of the relay, is unfortunately ill and must withdraw from the competition.”
The statement also criticized the organizers, expressing hope that future triathlon events at the Olympics would see improvements in training days, competition days, and clarity in competition format to avoid uncertainty for athletes and their support teams.
Meanwhile, the Swiss team had to replace Adrien Briffod with Simon Westermann due to Briffod suffering from a gastrointestinal infection.
Swiss Olympic Chief Medical Officer Hanspeter Betschart mentioned that it was unclear if Briffod’s illness was linked to the Seine’s water quality, adding, “A survey of my colleagues from other countries has so far not revealed any accumulation of gastrointestinal illnesses among the athletes who started the individual race last Wednesday.”
Paris 2024 organizers emphasized that the water quality in the Seine was “very good” on the day of the individual triathlons, asserting their commitment to athlete health and safety.
Their statement noted, “Water samples taken in the Seine on the morning of the individual triathlon events showed the quality to be at a level considered ‘very good’ by World Triathlon’s criteria, according to results analysed and released the following day.”
Despite the issues, World Triathlon and Paris 2024 confirmed that Monday’s mixed relay triathlon would proceed as planned, stating that water quality had improved.
“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,” the statement said.
The individual triathlon events went ahead last Wednesday after water quality concerns postponed the men’s race.
Heavy rains had caused the water quality to deteriorate, but tests conducted on the morning of the race assured organizers that conditions were safe.
“Following a meeting on water quality held on 31 July at 3:30 a.m. attended by Paris 2024, representatives of World Triathlon and their Technical and Medical Delegates, Météo 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 a.m. and 10:45 a.m. respectively,” the statement read.
Athletes placed their trust in the organizers’ assurances. Swiss silver medalist Julie Derron stated, “The swimming was fine during the race. We know that they took samples this morning. They take a lot of time to analyze, so we don’t know the results obviously. We all trust the authorities and the organizers that they keep us safe. And so we had a safe race today.
