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Has swimming in the Seine made Olympic athletes sick?

The billion dollar project to beautify the Parisian river has been dogged with controversy and complications from the start. But the latest bout of illnesses among Olympic triathletes might be the tipping point. 

You’d be hard pressed to talk about this year’s Olympics without mentioning the river Seine. Since Paris was first announced as 2024’s host city, the famous landmark has become a hot topic amongst Olympic planners, French politicians, and local citizens alike.

The billion dollar project to clean the notoriously dirty river was largely marketed as an Olympic-first scheme, with the aim that various water-based events like the triathlon could take place in the Seine.

But this plan wasn’t without its problems. Besides the extortionate costs involved – which angered the French public as they tackled a cost of living crisis – there were serious doubts about the plausibility of such a grand undertaking, which involved significant infrastructure changes to sewage systems and pollution controls.

Since the beginning, French politicians have defended the project and hammered home the argument that cleaning up the Seine isn’t just about the Olympic games.

The economics of the world’s most famous sporting event has been debated for decades, with many host countries still reeling from the debts incurred. But experts have claimed the Seine clean-up will usher in a new era for the French capital, one that – unlike other Olympic projects – will outlive the closing ceremony.

It is hoped a cleaner river will encourage once flourishing wildlife to return to the waters of Paris, improving local environmental conditions.

In fact, a plan to beautify the Seine was introduced years before Paris 2024. The Olympics have only sped up the process, according to Pierre Rabadan, the deputy mayor in charge of sport, the Olympic and Paralympic Games, and the Seine.

‘The Olympics acted as an accelerator,’ says Rabadan. ‘Without the games, [the project] would probably have taken 10 more years.’

And true to form, just weeks before the games began, it seemed project Seine was on the way to completion. Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo promised to swim in the river to prove its updated conditions, while locals protested the expense of the project by promising to defecate in the water.

However, with the Olympics well under way and the first round of triathlon events completed, athletes are beginning to fall ill with E.coli poisoning – a suspected side effect of swimming in the ostensibly clean river.

Though the illness has not been officially linked to bacteria in the Seine’s waters, it’s not hard to put two and two together.

Belgian Olympic team triathlete Claire Michel was hospitalised and treated for E.coli infection on Sunday after swimming in the Seine last Wednesday. As a result, the team forfeited from Mondays’ mixed competition triathlon.

And just three days after the men’s triathlon, the Switzerland Olympic team announced one of their athletes had a stomach infection and would not compete in the mixed relay event.

Clips of both teams announcing the news of their athletes’ illnesses have gone viral on social media, with many users highlighting the stark contrast between government promises and the reality faced by those taking part in the games.

Cynicism about the project may not be new, but it’s certainly ramped up a notch in the aftermath.

The overwhelming consensus is that the cleanup, while well-intentioned, has been rushed and insufficient to address deep-rooted issues.

And it brings to light a critical issue facing many cities: the balance between global prestige and local impact – the Olympics being a prime example of this tension.

Hosting the Games can bring immense financial benefits and global attention, but it often comes with significant costs. Cities invest heavily in infrastructure, often leading to displacement and other social issues. The question then becomes, who really benefits from these investments?

In this case, the immediate victims are the athletes whose health has been compromised. But there are broader implications. If the Seine cleanup fails to deliver on its promises, it could undermine trust in future environmental initiatives.

The project’s shortcomings might also signal a need for more sustainable and genuinely beneficial urban planning approaches, rather than those driven by the demands of global events.

As climate change and urbanisation continue to shape our world, the push for sustainable development must be balanced with genuine public health and environmental concerns. This balance is delicate, and the stakes are high.

The pursuit of global clout should never come at the expense of public well-being and environmental integrity. Paris has a chance to set a precedent, but only if it addresses the deeper issues beneath its surface.

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