There has been much international hand-wringing in recent months about the water quality of the Seine where open-water events will be contested at the Paris Olympics. But the three Canadian triathletes preparing to dive into the once heavily polluted river later this month are unconcerned; preparing their guts to handle questionable water is part of the training.
“It’s nothing new to us, it’s nothing new to our athletes,” says Phil Dunne, the high performance director for Triathlon Canada. “The conversation on preparations and changes in plans relative to water quality is relatively common in triathlon.”
Swimming events were held in the Seine at the 1900 Paris Olympics but, by the time the city hosted the 1924 Games, much of Paris’ wastewater was flowing into the waterway and swimming was banned. Of particular concern were levels of fecal bacteria E. coli and enterococci, which can cause stomach cramps, diarrhea, vomiting and flu-like symptoms.
Cleaning up the river in time for the Paris Olympics has been touted as one of the expected legacies of the Games, and state and local authorities have reportedly spent 1.4 billion EUR ($2.1B CDN) on the project, including constructing a giant underground water storage basin, renovating sewer infrastructure and upgrading water treatment plants.
Last year, the city hosted test events for the men’s and women’s triathlons, with athletes swimming in the Seine seemingly without incident and, earlier this month, Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo took a dip in the river to show it was clean enough to host the triathlon and marathon swimming events. Her swim, which came while the hashtag #jechiedanslaSeine (#IshitintheSeine) trended on social media as people declared their intent to poop in the river to protest the mayor, was delayed a month because water quality tests in June showed unsafe levels of E. coli.
E. coli. contamination is not unique to the Seine — just this month, water-quality advisories were issued for at least eight southwestern Ontario beaches — and major open-water swimming events, including triathlons, test water used in competition and abide by standards that outline maximum allowable E. coli and enterococci levels. If unsafe levels are found immediately before Olympic competition, athletes will not compete in the river, The Associated Press reports. The triathlon will be changed to a duathlon, comprised only of cycling and running, and the marathon swim will be moved to Vaires-sur-Marne Nautical Stadium where rowing and canoeing are taking place.
Dunne is confident athletes will not compete in the Seine if it is unsafe, but says Triathlon Canada always works proactively with athletes to minimize the ill effects of consuming compromised water. This involves ensuring they have appropriate vaccines and are eating to optimize gut health. The ideal diet is highly individualized and looks different for everyone. This protocol is in use by athletes of all levels, and is arguably most important for sub-elite athletes who may be competing in lower profile events.
Stephanie Horner, a three-time Olympian who competed in the open-water marathon swim at the 2016 Games in Rio, said she never overthought water quality before competitions because she trusted Swim Canada to keep her safe and not allow her to swim in dangerous conditions. “I just focused on what I need to do in terms of training and prep and then just blocked that noise out,” she said. She knows the same will be true for these Games.
“People have asked me: Would you swim (in the Seine)? … Of course I’d go.”
Before open-water swim events, it’s common for athletes to swim the course in advance so they can become accustomed to water temperature, current flow and course dynamics. But if athletes and their coaches are concerned about water quality (or anything else), they can skip the test swim and do final preparations in a pool. Horner remembers doing most or all of her final preparation for Rio in the pool. While some of those Games are a blur, she thinks she may have dived into Fort Copacabana for the first time in competition.
If athletes do get sick after competition, bad water is not always to blame. Dunne points out that simply travelling to competition can put athletes at risk of illness. Horner remembers getting ill after competing in her first marathon swimming world cup in 2015 even though the water would have abided by water quality standards. She still is not sure what made her unwell. “Sometimes it’s just a hard effort. Your energy is depleted,” she says.
One of the most recent high-profile examples of athletes getting sick after an open-water competition was at last summer’s World Triathlon Championship Series in Sunderland, United Kingdom when 88 competitors reported having suffered illness, including diarrhea. Three Canadians competed at the event, but none fell ill. A subsequent investigation by the U.K. Health Security Agency concluded norovirus, not E. coli, was likely the culprit and that the virus had likely spread during the swim.
If athletes do get sick from bad water, Triathlon Canada has a management plan outlining the foods athletes should consume and avoid to limit symptoms. In general, clear liquids like water and broth are good while dairy products, fatty and high-fibre foods can be problematic. Dunne struggled to remember an instance when an athlete had to follow the management plan. “It’s less frequent than people would assume just based on the water quality that they’re in,” he says.
The men’s triathlon kicks off July 30 (watch for Canadians Tyler Mislawchuk and Charles Paquet), followed by the women’s event on July 31 (Emy Legault will be wearing the maple leaf) and the mixed relay on Aug. 5. The women’s marathon swim is Aug. 8 (Emma Finlin competing for Canada) and the men’s is Aug. 9.