“Under the bridge I saw unimaginable things.” Belgian player recounts her experience swimming in the Seine River in Paris

The American newspaper, New York Post, quoted the statements of the Belgian player, who competed in the 1500-meter race last Wednesday, saying: “While floating under the bridge, I felt and saw things that we should not think about much.”

Vermeulen finished the race in 24th place, saying she had drunk too much water while in the Seine and was concerned about how it would affect her body. The Belgian athlete criticised officials who had spoken out about the safety of the river.

“We will know tomorrow whether I am sick or not,” she continued.

“The Seine has been dirty for a hundred years, so they can’t say that the safety of athletes is the priority. That’s nonsense!” she added.

Earlier, Swedish triathlete Tilda Monsson assessed the water quality of the Seine. She said the water quality was not the best, commenting: “It is brown and smells bad.”

“Let’s see if I get sick after that,” the Swedish athlete added.

The contestants dived into the water after officials gave the green light, indicating the water was clean and safe enough to compete amid reports of high levels of E. coli and other bacteria.

Pre-race training on the river was cancelled due to water quality and the men’s triathlon was postponed from Tuesday to Wednesday.

In preparation for the Olympic Games in Paris, officials have pledged an ambitious plan, including $1.5 billion to improve infrastructure, to clean up the long-polluted Seine River.

Source: RT