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Despite questions over whether or not the River Seine is even safe enough for athletes to dunk their toes in, rowing and swimming and triathloning have been going full steam ahead.

Team South Africa’s Vicky van der Merwe finished 46th in the swim leg of the women’s triathlon at the Paris Olympic Games on Wednesday, noting that it was actually rather “tough”, per IOL.

After days of tense anticipation regarding the Seine’s cleanliness, the event finally commenced, revealing a dramatic outcome. Van der Merwe was more than ten minutes behind the gold medal winner, Cassandre Beaugrand of France, underscoring the intense competition and the challenging conditions of the race.

In a thrilling climax to the race, 27-year-old Beaugrand triumphed with a remarkable burst of speed in the final stages. She created a decisive gap, leaving Switzerland’s Julie Derron, who claimed the silver, and Britain’s Beth Potter, who took bronze, trailing behind in a dramatic bunched finish.

At around 4AM on Wednesday, World Triathlon and the Paris Games organising committee made the crucial announcement that the women’s race would proceed as planned. This decision came after water tests showed that bacterial pollution in the Seine had dropped to acceptable levels, alleviating days of uncertainty.

Your @Paris2024 @Olympics Triathlon course map – she’s a beauty.

🏊🏻‍♀️ 1500m swim
(Lap 1: 910m Lap 2: 590m)

🚴🏼 40km bike (7laps)

🏃🏼‍♀️ 10km run (4laps)

8am is GO time for the women
Buckle up! pic.twitter.com/84o0qBeMTc

— World Triathlon (@worldtriathlon) July 31, 2024

Despite some latent anxiety about catching a bug while trying to bag a gold medal, the rain had been falling overnight in Paris, only stopping at the moment the athletes had to jump off a pontoon laid over the river at the historic Alexandre III bridge in the heart of the city.

“For me it was a tough day, I literally almost died in that swim,” Van der Merwe said after the race.

“For all of us it was very uncertain what was going to happen. It’s not conditions that we are used to and it’s definitely a first for a lot of athletes.

Often the kind of competition grounds that a host country dishes out becomes a challenge for athletes, who train diligently in very particular circumstances back home. But you know mos, Saffas know how to make a plan.

“I 100 percent prepared like it was going to happen. Us South Africans are really good adapting to the circumstances.”

Van der Merwe was handed a penalty during the race, but she’s still not sure what it was for.

“When I got to my bike after the swim it was on the ground. Not sure if it was for that,” Van der Merwe said.

Nontheless, she says she will cherish the experience forever.

“A tough day for me, but I’m just happy that I could keep on fighting until the end. I managed to pass a few girls in the run, but that swim really was tough and I did the best I could.”

She concluded by saying that it was definitely not the result that she trained for and hoped for, “But the experience was incredible and the crowds were incredible”.

Next time, Vicky!

[source:iol]