Sharon van Rouwendaal paid little heed to concerns about bacterial infections when she drank a bit of Seine water on the way to Olympic gold on Thursday in the women’s 10km marathon swim along the famous river in Paris.
The water quality was approved by Games organisers in the early hours to allow the race to go ahead on time, though pollution issues had proved a headache during the triathlon events, with the men’s race postponed by 24 hours.
Dutchwoman Van Rouwendaal downed energy drinks dangled from rods over the water during the gruelling six-lap course up and down the Seine but found she needed more refreshment to get past Australian training partner and friend Moesha Johnson.
“I was thirsty at some point, I was like drinking the Seine, so, let’s see,” the tough 30-year-old told reporters while cradling a bottle of cola.
“I’m fine, I’m fine. I didn’t even vomit, normally I vomit out of pain but, yeah, I didn’t vomit after the race.”
The men race on Friday but the completion of the women’s event without apparent incident may be a relief for city officials who have staked plenty on cleaning up the waterway.
French authorities spent 1.4 billion euros ($1.5 billion) on upgrading the city’s sewage systems, promising the river would be clean for residents to swim in by next summer.
Athletes competing in the Seine have taken all sorts of precautions, with the Australian triathlon team taking medicines to combat E.coli, a bacterium, for a month.
Health was not the only challenge, though.
The Seine’s strong currents were a grind for athletes swimming upstream.
The river course did not have great appeal for Italy’s marathon swimmer Ginevra Taddeucci, though she took the bronze.
“Of course I’ve swum in better places and I was only caring about not feeling sick, but it was fine,” she said.
The battle with nature also left Van Rouwendaal with scratches up and down her right arm as revealed to reporters when she lowered part of her swimsuit.
Swimming close against the bank on upstream legs to avoid the current, Van Rouwendaal said she was scratched by thorny bushes.
Van Rouwendaal’s toughness and determination no doubt helped the 2016 champion to become the first repeat winner in Olympic marathon swimming.
However, strategy was also important.
She overtook silver medallist Johnson late in the last length after swimming behind a bridge pylon where the current was weaker to reel in the Australian.
Gleeful Netherlands coach Thijs Hagelstein said they had practised the ploy during the familiarisation session on Wednesday.
“That was amazing. That spot was very low current. It was really easy for her to swim there,” he told Reuters.
“But it was her call when to do it. She’s such an experienced swimmer and I don’t need to interfere with that.”
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