Belgian triathlete Jorien Vermeilen is once again attracting attention.
This comes after she described her swim in the Seine as a “dirty experience” in which she “felt and saw things that shouldn’t be given too much thought.”
“We’ll find out tomorrow if I’m sick…” Vermeilen said, according to multiple reports, adding, “Of course, it doesn’t taste like Coca-Cola or Sprite.”
But now Vermeilen claims that her words, which were translated from her native language into English, were not properly conveyed or reported.
Vermeiren told News AU. She said she was disappointed that the “lightness” and “humour” she was trying to convey when talking about swimming in the Seine didn’t really come across in the interview.
“The translation is just so bad,” she said. “New words were invented, superlatives were used, it made me angry, and so on.”
Tests found that E. coli levels in the water were 10 times higher than acceptable levels in June before the Olympics. CBS News reported..
E. coli is a dangerous bacterium that can cause infections in the intestines and lead to problems like diarrhea and pneumonia.
2024 Paris Olympics
Additionally, another swimmer vomited after coming into contact with the same water, but he later said that what happened to him was not due to swimming.
Triathlete Tyler Mislauchuk was out of shape and threw off 10 reps, but suggested the heat might have been to blame.
“That day, I didn’t think about ‘what ifs’ and just gave it my all. Everything really went well. I vomited 10 times after the race. I got hot in the last few laps,” Mislauchuk said.
“I’m a kid from Winnipeg, or Oak Bluffs to be exact, where it gets minus 50 degrees in the winter, and I’m here at the Summer Olympics.”
