After days of delays and uncertainty over water quality concerns in the Seine River, the women’s and men’s Olympic triathlon races will go forward.

After days of water-quality concerns caused by heavy rains last week put the swimming portion of the Olympic triathlons in doubt, the women dove into the Seine River on Wednesday under gray skies that lingered following an early-morning drizzle, followed by the men a few hours later.

The athletes began near the Pont Alexandre III, a bridge that spans the famed Paris waterway. The steady rain tapered off just as the athletes splashed into the water. Some dunked their swim goggles in the Seine before putting them on and heading into the river with the Eiffel Tower in the background.

The decision to go ahead with the swim for the triathlon competitions was a big deal for the city, Olympics organizers and the athletes. Officials undertook an ambitious plan, including 1.4 billion euros ($1.5 billion) in infrastructure improvements, to clean up the long-polluted Seine and have been steadfast in their insistence that the swimming portion of the triathlon and the marathon swimming events next week could safely be held in the river.

  • casmael@lemm.eeEnglish
    132·
    5 months ago

    So uhhhh was this a good idea? I saw one of the athletes projectile vomited just after he crossed the finish line which doesn’t seem good imo

    • NotAnotherLemmyUser@lemmy.worldEnglish
      21·
      5 months ago

      Vomitting immediately after pushing your body to its limit is fairly normal.

      Someone correct me if I’m wrong, I believe the reason is because your body redirects blood/energy to the most important parts when your body is under strain.

      Edit: Please see the correction provided by EpicFailGuy below.

      So, if there’s too much food in your stomache and you’re pushing your body to its absolute limit, the stomache becomes less important as to whether it needs to continue working well. Blood is directed away from the stomache and you will vomit.

      This is, at least, what happens when someone goes through shock, I’m assuming something similar is at play when pushing your body to its limit.

      If swimmers end up sick or contracting some diseases, that’s when we should worry. But we won’t see those effects as immediately as the end of a race.

      • EpicFailGuy@lemmy.worldEnglish
        111·
        5 months ago

        You are partly right.

        In short: The muscles use ATP to make energy, that reaction takes oxygen. When you’re not able to provide enough oxygen for the amount of atp that you want to convert into enrgy your body starts producing lactic acid which ends up in your stomac and you puke.

        This is the same thing that happens when you run so much or so fast that you vomit. It means that you are pushing your muscles harder than your lungs can keep up with.

        For a full accurate read check out this https://strengthmatters.com/anaerobic-lactic-energy-system/