Triathletes Claire Michel and Adrien Briffod forced to withdraw from mixed event as River Seine fears grow

Belgium have been forced to withdraw from the mixed triathlon in Paris after one of their athletes fell seriously ill.

Claire Michel, who finished 38th in the women’s triathlon on Wednesday, withdrew from the race, which left Belgium with no choice but to withdraw their entire team.

The Belgian Olympic and Interfederal Committee did not elaborate on Michel’s illness, but reports in Belgium suggest she was infected with E. coli.

Swiss triathlete Adrien Briffod also withdrew from the mixed team relay after suffering a stomach infection, although the Switzerland Olympic team said it was “impossible to say” if the illness was linked to the water quality in the River Seine.

The Swiss team still plan to compete in the mixed event.

Uncertainty surrounds the final Olympic triathlon event in Paris because of renewed concerns regarding water quality in the city’s waterway.

The mixed relay is due to take place on Monday morning but could be pushed back after heavy rain on Wednesday and Thursday again caused levels of bacteria in the water to rise.

Organisers had said that bacteria levels in the river were at a level that was considered safe for the athletes.

The Belgian committee said it “hopes that lessons will be learned for future triathlon competitions at the Olympic Games”.

“We are thinking here of the guarantee of training days, competition days and the competition format, which must be clarified in advance and ensure that there is no uncertainty for the athletes, entourage and supporters,” they said in a statement.

The men’s race was changed from Tuesday to Wednesday, the same day as the women’s competition, earlier this week, with athletes unable to swim in the river until the day of the race.

A planned training session for athletes on Sunday morning was also cancelled.

“(The) decision has been made to cancel the swim leg of the triathlon familiarisation, which was due to be held on August 4 at 8am,” the statement read.

“Given the heavy rain over the nights of July 31 and August 1, which had been particularly intense upstream of Paris, we still see impact on the water quality in our venue.

“We are expecting an improvement on the conditions in the next hours, but not to a level to which the swim familiarisation planned for (Sunday) can take place.”

Speaking at Sunday morning’s IOC briefing, Paris 2024 director of communications Anne Descamps added: “We are expecting improvement regarding the weather forecast. As we’ve seen the sun and the heat have a very positive impact.”

Great Britain won gold in the inaugural Olympic mixed relay in Tokyo and will be among the favourites to secure another medal.

- with AAP