A Canadian Olympian was observed vomiting violently on live television after being compelled to swim in the River Seine.
Canadian triathlete Tyler Mislawchuk had just completed a swim of nearly a mile in the river running through the center of Paris, France.
For over a century, swimming in the Seine has largely been prohibited due to the risk of contracting diseases from its polluted waters, which have high levels of E. coli.
However, as France prepares to host its third Summer Olympics and the first in 100 years, athletes participating in marathon swimming and triathlon events have been allowed to enter the water for the Paris 2024 Olympics.
Mislawchuk was among several Olympians who faced difficulties after completing the triathlon that entails a 1.5-km swim, a 40km bike ride, and a 10km run.
Though the Canadian athlete finished ninth, he was the only competitor seen vomiting, which is hardly surprising given the poor water quality and the soaring temperatures of 86F in Paris.
After the race, Mislawchuk spoke to Canadian media, stating, “I didn’t come here to come top 10 but I gave it everything I had. I went for it, I have no regrets – vomited 10 times.”
The Seine had failed multiple tests in the lead-up to the Olympics due to rain causing runoff and even sewage to enter the river.
French officials have invested around $1.5 billion to make the river safer in preparation for the Olympics.
Following these efforts, Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo took a swim in the River Seine to demonstrate its safety.
She stated, “It’s sweet and wonderful and the result of a lot of work. I remember at the very beginning in 2015 when we began our campaign for the Games, the international triathlon federation said: ‘Why not a triathlon in the Seine? Will athletes be able to swim in the Seine?’. Today we can say they can.”
Yesterday (July 30), it was announced that the triathlon had been postponed due to concerns over the river’s water quality.
However, today (July 31), both male and female athletes competed in the triathlon and were seen diving into the river flowing through the heart of Paris.
This decision followed a joint statement from the event organizers and World Triathlon, the governing body for the sport, explaining that water quality tests confirmed it was safe for competition.
The statement read: “Following a meeting on water quality held on 31 July at 3.30am [local time] 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 8am and 10.45am respectively.
“The results of the latest water analyses, received at 3.20am, have been assessed as compliant by World Triathlon allowing for the triathlon competitions to take place.”