Belgium pulled out of |Monday morning’s mixed triathlon relay after one of its athletes fell ill following the individual race in the River Seine.
Claire Michel, who finished 38th in the women’s triathlon last week, received treatment at a clinic in the Olympic Village on Sunday before returning to her room.
Belgium have not confirmed whether Michel’s illness is a direct consequence of having swum in the Seine, but one Belgian newspaper has reported that the 35-year-old has contracted E. coli.
The decision to host the swim leg of all three triathlon events in the Seine has created a major headache for organisers and athletes during these Olympics, despite a clean-up effort that cost more than £1billion in the run up to the Games.
Several training days in the river have been cancelled due to concerns over the quality of the water, while last week’s men’s race was pushed back by one day for the same reason after heavy rainfall in the French capital. That decision was only made in the early hours of the morning on the day of the race, causing huge disruption to athletes’ preparation.
However, speaking after Britain claimed bronze in Monday’s thrilling race, performance director Mike Cavendish defended the move to use the Seine as part of the course.
“I think if you look around now, look at the people on the side of the course, the spectacle that’s just been delivered across three races, I think it was the right decision,” he said. “Clearly, we would have liked to have more swim familiarisations, clearly we would have liked not to have the men’s race delayed, but I think it was the product that matters the most in the end.
We know it wasn’t ideal, but at the end of the day it’s been a brilliant spectacle and that’s what it will be remembered for
“Yes, there are lessons to be learned by everybody, but had there been a reserve venue and they had moved it to somewhere outside the centre of Paris, then you wouldn’t have had this unbelievable spectacle.
“We know it wasn’t ideal, but at the end of the day it’s been a brilliant spectacle and that’s what it will be remembered for.”
