Belgium has decided to withdraw from the mixed relay triathlon race scheduled for Monday due to one of its triathletes, Claire Michel, falling ill. The National Olympic Committee of Belgium made this announcement in a statement released recently.
The specific illness that Claire Michel is suffering from was not disclosed in the statement. This development comes after Michel participated in the women's triathlon event held on Wednesday, where she swam in the River Seine.
Concerns over the water quality in the River Seine had caused the men's triathlon race to be postponed earlier. The decision to proceed with the triathlon events in Paris was made despite worries about the water quality, which had been exacerbated by heavy rainfall during the opening weekend of the Olympics.
Prior to the competition, training sessions had to be canceled as initial tests indicated that the water was not safe for the athletes. However, further testing conducted on the day of the triathlon confirmed that the event could proceed as planned.