Irish Olympian Daniel Wiffen, who won a silver medal in the 800m swimming and a bronze in the 1500m, was rushed to a Paris hospital with a stomach bug just two days after competing in the marathon swimming event in the River Seine. Wiffen was scheduled to carry the Irish flag during the closing ceremony on Sunday but was unable to attend due to his illness.
“Thanks everyone who reached out, I’m incredibly disappointed to miss out on the opportunity to be flag bearer last night,” Wiffen wrote on social media. “Yesterday I rushed to hospital as I was very unwell with a bug that I am being treated for, and am feeling better now.”
Wiffen competed in the men’s 10-kilometer marathon swim in the River Seine on Friday, finishing 18th with a time of 1 hour 58 minutes. He did not link his illness to the water, and organizers emphasized that health problems should not be automatically attributed to the river.
However, at least three athletes out of over a hundred who participated in the men’s and women’s triathlons on July 31 reported illness after swimming in the Seine. Belgian triathlete Claire Michel required medical attention after suffering from vomiting and diarrhea due to a virus.
Despite a 1.4 billion euro upgrade to improve the Paris sewerage and water treatment system, the Seine has faced pollution issues during the Olympics. Due to summer rains and storms, untreated wastewater was discharged into the river, causing it to fail tests on multiple occasions.
Of the 11 days of events and training scheduled in the Seine, only five received approval. Paris 2024 organizers maintain that the levels of E.Coli and enterococci, the two bacteria monitored by health authorities and sports federations, were acceptable during the outdoor swimming events.
Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo plans to open three public bathing spots in the river next year as part of the Olympic legacy. “If like 99 percent of the athletes don’t have any problems, I think it’s fine,” said German triathlete Tim Hellwig after winning the mixed relay event.
