An Olympic triathlete shared her disturbing experience in the River Seine, raising concerns about cleanliness and safety during competition.
The 2024 Paris Olympics have faced numerous challenges, and the recent swimming events in the Seine River have been no exception.
Belgian triathlete Jolien Vermeylen competed in the women’s triathlon.
She has spoken about the shockingly unsanitary conditions she faced while swimming in the river.
Olympic Triathlete reveals disgusting experience swimming in River Seine
Despite a reported $1.5 billion spent on cleaning up the Seine, which had been under a 100-year swimming ban, Vermeylen described the experience as “disgusting.”
She revealed that she “felt and saw things that we shouldn’t think about too much” while swimming under a bridge during the event.
‘While under the bridge, I felt and saw things that we shouldn’t think about too much,’ Vermeylen said.
As she swam through the river, the athlete reported seeing various items floating in the water.
These included debris and waste that should not have been present in a competition setting.
The sight of these things was disgusting, and it made her question the cleanliness of the water.
She had trained for this moment for years, but she never imagined that the environment would be so terrible.
Moreover, the smell of the water added to her discomfort.
The athlete described the odor as unpleasant, making it difficult for her to focus on her performance.
Instead of concentrating on her technique and speed, she really worried about what was in the water around her.
‘I drank a lot of water, so we’ll know tomorrow if I’m sick or not. It doesn’t taste like Coca-Cola or Sprite, of course,” she recounted her experience.
The women’s triathlon was once delayed due to alarming levels of bacteria
The women’s triathlon was initially postponed on Tuesday.
Tests showed that the Seine’s water quality did not meet the required standards.
“The tests carried out in the Seine today revealed water quality levels that did not provide sufficient guarantees to allow the event to be held.
“Unfortunately, meteorological events beyond our control, such as the rain which fell over Paris on 26 and 27 July, can alter water quality and compel us to reschedule the event for health reasons,” the organizers stated.
However, the event was ultimately held on Wednesday, with British athlete Beth Potter securing a bronze medal.
Vermeylen criticized the Olympic organizers
After the competition, Vermeylen criticized the organizers for the challenges that athletes have to face when competing in the River Seine.
She expressed frustration with the organizers, calling it “bull****” that they claimed to care about the athletes’ safety after the expensive cleanup efforts.
“The Seine has been dirty for a hundred years, so they can’t say that the safety of the athletes is a priority. That’s bulls***!” Vermeylen said.
‘If the race hadn’t taken place, it would have been a disgrace for the organization, for Paris, for France. It was now or never, and they couldn’t cancel the race completely either.
‘Now they just have to hope that there won’t be too many sick athletes,” she angrily emphasized.
She shared that she attempted to prepare for the poor water conditions in the River Seine
The athlete said she took probiotics and drank Yakult to protect herself as the best way she could do at the time.
However, these measures ultimately proved insufficient in protecting them from unsanitary and unpleasant conditions.
Olympic organizers claim they are dedicated to the safety of all competitors.
In response to the athlete’s comments, organizers of the Olympic Games stated that they are committed to ensuring the safety and well-being of all competitors.
They assured everyone that measures are in place to monitor water quality and make necessary improvements.
However, many athletes and fans remain skeptical about whether these measures will be sufficient to guarantee a safe experience.
Swimming in the Seine, which goes through Paris, has been banned since 1923.
In 1990, Jacques Chirac, the mayor at that time, promised to make the river clean enough for swimming but did not succeed.
Before the Olympics, Parisians threatened to defecate in the river to protest against the poor spending on cleaning it.
When asked if he would apologize to the athletes, Etienne Thobois, the director general of Paris 2024, refused.
He said they need to wait and not create fake stories. Thobois expressed respect for the athletes, who are very important to the Games.
He added that they have worked hard with international groups and public officials to allow swimming in the Seine.
Thobois believes this will be a great legacy.