During the women's 10k marathon swim at the Olympics, Sharon van Rouwendaal, the gold medalist, made headlines for her unconventional approach to staying hydrated. Despite concerns about the water quality of the River Seine, van Rouwendaal didn't hesitate to drink some of its water during her race.
Van Rouwendaal spent over two hours in the river and casually mentioned that she drank the river water to quench her thirst. She nonchalantly stated, 'I was thirsty, I needed a refreshment. So I was like, I'll drink the Seine.' She further added that the water was cold but didn't have any unpleasant taste, unlike the usual fishy or salty flavors she encounters in other bodies of water.
Interestingly, the Dutch swimmer revealed that she had experienced bouts of vomiting earlier in the day due to nerves, not because of the river water. She humorously remarked, 'I already vomited two times this morning before the race. Of stress, not of the water, so if I vomit today, it's all fine.'
On the podium, alongside van Rouwendaal, were Australia's Moesha Johnson and Italy's Ginevra Taddeucci, who seemed less enthusiastic about the idea of drinking from the river. During a news conference following the event, the silver and bronze medalists did not express the same willingness to partake in the river water consumption.
