Olympic officials ripped off by triathlete after swimming in polluted river

Olympic triathlete Jolien Vermeylen shared it consternation to swim in the polluted Seine, criticizing officials who claimed the river was safe for competition.

Representing Belgium in the women's triathlon, Vermeylen's 1,500m swim across the iconic French river on Wednesday left her worried.

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“While swimming under the bridge, I heard and saw things that we shouldn't think too much about,” Vermeylen told Flemish TV channel VTM, as reported. Subway.

🇧🇪 Belgian triathlete Jolien Vermeylen swimming in the Seine River at the Paris Olympics.

“I heard and saw things I don't want to think about.” pic.twitter.com/YqZP6NWfzL

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Vermeylen finished the race in 24th place, but his main concern was the potential health impact of ingesting the river water. “We'll know tomorrow if I'm sick or not,” he said. “It doesn't taste like Coke or Sprite, of course.”

Athletes took to the water after officials declared it clean and safe, despite reports of high levels of E. coli and other bacteria.

In June, tests showed levels of E. coli ten times above the acceptable limit, according to CBS News. E. coli, often associated with fecal matter, can cause a variety of illnesses, including diarrhea, urinary tract infections, pneumonia, and sepsis.

“Despite the improvement in water quality levels in recent hours, readings at some points along the swimming track are still above acceptable limits,” organizers admit.

Earlier practices were canceled due to water quality and the men's triathlon was postponed from Tuesday to Wednesday..

In preparation for the Paris Olympics, officials embarked on a $1.5 billion plan to clean up the Seine, a river long known for its pollution. They were determined to host the triathlon and marathon swimming events in the river.

Vermeylen, however, criticized those same officials for prioritizing the event over the safety of the athletes. “The Sena has been dirty for a hundred years, so they cannot say that the safety of the athletes is a priority. That's bullshit!” he declared.

The 30-year-old first-time Olympian took precautions before the race, including consuming probiotics and Yakult, but still ended up swallowing the river water. “I had the idea of ​​not drinking water, but yes, it failed. It was now or never, and they couldn't cancel the race entirely either. Now we just have to hope that there are not too many sick athletes”.

Despite the controversy, France's Cassandre Beaugrand and Britain's Alex Yee took gold medals in their respective races.