Olympian vomits after gruelling race in the Seine River

SHAH ALAM - The iconic Seine River, typically admired for its picturesque beauty, transformed into a gruelling battleground at the Paris Games, where Canadian triathlete Tyler Mislawchuk made headlines for vomiting multiple times after finishing the intense race.

In a scene that shocked viewers worldwide, Mislawchuk was captured on live television (TV) vomiting after crossing the finish line at the Paris Olympics triathlon.

The event, held in the historic but notoriously polluted Seine River, combined a 1.5km swim, 40km bike ride and 10km run, pushing athletes to their limits.

The Paris Olympics have drawn criticism for holding the swimming segment of the triathlon in the Seine, a river that has been mostly off-limits for over a century due to its high levels of pollution, including dangerous concentrations of E. coli bacteria.

Despite French officials investing around 1.5 billion USD in cleanup efforts, concerns about water quality persisted.

Heavy rainfall just before the event further complicated matters, causing runoff and even sewage to enter the river, which led to the postponement of the men’s race by a day.

Mislawchuk, who finished ninth in the men’s triathlon, bore the brunt of these conditions.

Moments after crossing the finish line, he was seen vomiting, a reaction he later attributed to both the polluted water and the sheer exhaustion of the race.

"I did not come here to come top 10, but I gave it everything I had. I went for it, I have no regrets, I vomited 10 times,” he said after the race.

Despite the water quality controversy, French officials remained confident in their efforts to rehabilitate the Seine.

Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo even took a public swim to demonstrate the river's improved condition, a symbolic gesture to highlight the success of the cleanup.

"It is sweet and wonderful and the result of a lot of work," Hidalgo had said, reflecting on the transformation of the Seine from a health hazard to a venue for Olympic competition.

The triathlon's completion was only possible after organisers and World Triathlon, the sport's governing body, conducted last-minute water quality tests, ultimately declaring the river safe for competition.

However, the physical toll on athletes like Mislawchuk suggested that the water’s cleanliness might still be questionable.