The women's triathlon event in the 2024 Paris Olympics that was originally scheduled for Tuesday, took place on Wednesday following safety concerns in the Seine River, with Cassandre Beaugrand of France taking home the gold medal in her home country's Olympic games.
The pollution issues in the Seine were well-chronciled entering the Olympics with E. Coli and other bacteria rising above acceptable levels heading into the summer games. After a Tuesday postponement due to the pollution, the water was deemed safe enough to swim in on Wednesday.
Jolien Vermeylen of Belgium, who finished 24th in the event, blasted Olympic officials who made the call to hold the race. While she admitted that a cancellation would have been a disgrace, Vermeylen told UK's Metro that she didn't think the water was safe enough to swim in.
"While swimming under the bridge, I felt and saw things that we shouldn't think about too much," Vermeylen said. "I drank a lot of water, so we'll know tomorrow if I'm sick or not. It doesn't taste like Coca-Cola or Sprite, of course. The Seine has been dirty for a hundred years, so they can't say the safety of the athletes is a priority. That's bulls---," Vermeylen added.
Heading into the Paris Olympics, a $1.5 billion infrastructure plan was put into place to try to improve the pollution in the Seine. However, the pollution levels in the water were still above acceptable levels heading into the Games.
Ultimately, both the men's and women's triathlon races were completed. Time will tell whether or not the pollution in the water will have a detrimental effect on the health of the athletes.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Olympic Triathlete Had Brutal Quote About Her Experience Swimming in Seine.
