Triathlete left spewing after complaining of what she ‘felt and saw’ in Seine river

The triathlete who gave a graphic description of what she “felt and saw” while swimming in the polluted Seine river has come out swinging.

Jolien Vermeylen (R) of Team Belgium compete during Women's Individual Triathlon on day five of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Pont Alexandre III on July 31, 2024 in Paris, France. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

The Belgian triathlete who made headlines around the world with an apparently graphic description of what she “felt and saw” while competing in the polluted Seine river at the Paris Olympics says it’s not just excrement that has been put in her mouth - but words.

Jolien Vermeylen gave an interview to Dutch TV station VTM after she came 24th in the women’s triathlon final on Wednesday and reportedly lamented her ingestion of “a lot of water” that didn’t “taste like Coca-Cola” before expressing concern that she had contracted a gastrointestinal infection.

Now, she’s spewing. Not because she acquired a gut bug from the contaminated water. But because of the translations of her quotes in global news reports that appeared to make her seem more green in the face than she actually was.

Jolien Vermeylen (R) of Team Belgium emerges from the Seine during the Women's Individual Triathlon. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

Athletes complained of the water quality in the river that runs through Paris. (Photo by JULIEN DE ROSA / AFP)

She told News Corp Australia she was disappointed to read the reports of her interview that didn’t capture the “light” and “humour” with which she intended when describing the horrors lurking beneath the murky waters that she “felt and saw”.

“The translation is just … poorly done,” she said. “…They invented new words, used superlatives and made me angry and whatever.”

In June, tests found the level of E. coli in the water was 10 times above the acceptable levels, according to CBS News.

The E. coli bacteria is often linked to fecal matter and can cause diarrhoea, urinary tract infections, pneumonia and sepsis.

From the same TV interview, Vermeylen was quoted by outlets as appearing to call out officials for allowing the world-class athletes to compete in such polluted waters.

“The Seine has been dirty for a hundred years, so they can’t say that the safety of the athletes is a priority. That’s bulls***!” she was reported as saying.

So, does a swim in the Seine lead to violent dysentery thanks to a bacteria infection picked up from slurping down dirty river water?

More than 72-hours after the race, Ms Vermeylen confirmed to News Corp Australia her gut health was operating as expected.

“I’m healthy,” she insisted. “I have no idea about the other athletes.”

Originally published as Triathlete left spewing after complaining of what she ‘felt and saw’ in Seine river