Belgium withdrew from the triathlon relay — Michelle is in the hospital with E. coli

The Belgian team refused to participate in the mixed triathlon relay scheduled for Monday, after one of the athletes, Claire Michel, was hospitalized with an E. coli infection. It is reported by The Sun.

35-year-old Michelle has been ill for the last four days. The Belgians could not replace her and were forced to refuse to participate in the relay, the newspaper writes. Michelle caught the infection after swimming in the Seine.

"BOIC and Belgian Triathlon hope that lessons will be learned for future triathlon competitions. We are thinking about training days that can be guaranteed, about days and formats of competitions that are clear in advance, and about circumstances that will not lead to uncertainty among athletes, entourage and fans," the Belgian Olympic and Inter—Federal Committee said.

Fears are growing that the event may be canceled altogether, after athletes were not allowed to train on Sunday due to poor water quality, The Sun summarizes.

As reported by EADaily, swimming in open water is unlikely to take place in the Seine. This was stated by the referee of the triathlon competitions at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris Alexey Kalinin.