Seine claims another victim, this time a New Zealand athlete

Hayden Wilde, a silver medalist in the individual triathlon, reported having symptoms identical to those of an infection with this bacteria two days after the Seine swimming event.

The Seine swimming events are still the focus of attention. Although none have been canceled so far, five training sessions have already had to be postponed due to high levels of bacteria in the river, including, on Tuesday, August 6, the training session for the open water swimming event.

The men’s individual triathlon event was postponed one day, again because the water was not suitable for swimming on that day. It was eventually held on the same day as the women’s event, Wednesday, July 31. Since then, Belgian triathlete Claire Michel has fallen ill (although she was not hospitalized, as Belgian media initially reported), and her delegation has considered a connection to the Seine swimming event. But that link is doubtful: symptoms of an E. coli infection appear on average three to four days after contamination, and the sportswoman said she got sick the same day.

Now it is New Zealand triathlete Hayden Wilde’s turn to declare himself ill. The athlete, who won a silver medal in the triathlon event, told the news outlet 1news that he experienced symptoms of an E. coli infection 48 hours after the Seine swimming event. He also said there would be a second patient on his team. RNZ radio reports that this second triathlete, whose name was not revealed, would also have symptoms of an E. coli infection after the event in the Seine.

According to the two media outlets, the illness made it more difficult to prepare for the mixed triathlon, in which the Kiwi team finished in 14th place. It should be noted that Hayden Wilde’s tragic bicycle accident during the cycling portion of the competition, which also involved one of the event’s favorites, Pierre Le Corre of France, had an impact on their race. Hayden Wilde finished the race with a bloody nose, which led to some impressive shots by photographers.

Speaking to RNZ, the head of the New Zealand delegation, Nigel Avery, said he had taken care to conceal the illness of his two triathletes until the mixed event, so as not to let their rivals know that the team was not in good shape. When asked about the relevance of a swimming event in the Seine, the former weightlifter refused to get involved in the controversy, stressing that the Olympic Committee and the International Triathlon Federation did everything possible to ensure the health of the athletes.