Unable to contain his stomach contents any longer, Team Canada’s triathlete Tyler Mislawchuk vomits on live TV following the Olympic race in Paris’ heavily polluted Seine River.
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Moments after finishing ninth place in the Olympic contest, Mislawchuk was seen violently vomiting. The race included a 1,500-meter swim, a 40-kilometer cycling race, and a 10-kilometer run.
The unpleasant sight was caught by numerous media outlets from around the world. Other triathletes were spotted lying near the finish line struggling to catch their breath.
Following the on-air vomiting Olympic situation, Tyler Mislawchuk spoke about his finish and admitted he didn’t regret throwing up after being in the Seine. He completed the race at 1hr 39min 41sec.
“I didn’t come here to come top 10 but I gave it everything I had,” he told Canadian media afterward. “I went for it, I have no regrets – vomited 10 times.”
He also shared, “I’ve come back from an Achilles tear, concussion, crashes, you name it, I had it in the last three years. To stand on the start line healthy and give it my all… I’m proud of the effort. You want more, but that’s all I had in me.”
The Olympic race was postponed from Tuesday morning after organizers declared the water quality in the Seine wasn’t safe enough. Both men’s and women’s races weren’t confirmed until the early hours of Wednesday, July 31.
The men’s race occurred right after the women’s.
Olympic Games Organizers Say Samples Showed ‘Much Lower’ Levels of Bacteria in the Seine
Olympic Games organizers revealed samples taken showed “much lower” levels of bacteria than the threshold for the event to take place. This notably gave hope for future races that are set to take place on the Seine.
It was previously reported that French officials have invested heavily in making it safer in preparation for the Olympics. The government notably spent approximately £ 1.2 billion on the Seine’s regeneration project. However, despite all the funding, the Seine’s water was still considered unsafe.
American triathlete Seth Rider spoke to Time about the water’s safety. He stated that before the triathlon to build immunity against E. coli, he was intentionally exposing himself to the bacteria before the race
“It’s actually backed by science,” he explained. “Proven methods. Just little things throughout your day, like not washing your hands after you go to the bathroom.”
Team GB’s Alex Yee won the men’s triathlon race. New Zealand’s Hayden Wilde came in second, winning the silver, and France’s Leo Bergere finished third, taking home the bronze.