Belgium withdraw from triathlon relay as athlete falls ill after swimming in Seine

Belgium have withdrawn from the triathlon mixed relay at the Olympics after one of their athletes fell ill following her participation in the women’s race.

It comes after training sessions for the swimming leg of the triathlon were cancelled for the second day in a row due to poor water quality in the River Seine.

Claire Michel, who finished 38th in the women’s race on Wednesday, received treatment at the Olympic Village and was unable to compete in Monday’s race.

Organisers remain confident that Monday’s relay would go ahead. Last week, the men’s race was pushed back to the same day as the women’s due to poor water quality.

In a terse statement, the Belgian Olympic Committee (COIB) said they hoped “lessons will be learned for future triathlon competitions at the Olympic Games”.

The men’s triathlon was postponed due to polluted water in the Seine, with tests revealing water quality levels that were “above the acceptable limits”.

Both the men’s and women’s events went ahead after organisers said levels improved but there have been heavy spells of rain in recent days, with levels of pollution and harmful bacteria including E.coli in the Seine linked to the weather.

“Claire Michel, a member of the relay team, is unfortunately ill and must withdraw from the competition," the Belgian Olympic Committee (COIB) said in a statement.

"The COIB and Belgian Triathlon hope 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 to ensure that there is no uncertainty for athletes, entourage and supporters.”