DOZENS of triathletes have fallen ill with diarrhoea and vomiting after a swimming event in Sunderland.
Around 2,000 people were competing in the UK leg of the 2023 World Triathalon Championship in the city last weekend, which included a swim off Roker Beach.
However, British Triathalon confirmed it became aware of at least 57 of them falling ill in the days after the event took place.
It comes after Environment Agency (EA) sampling at the beach on July 26 detected 39 times the normal amount of E. coli in the water.
E. coli is a bacterial infection that can cause severe stomach cramps, bloody diarrhoea and vomiting.
Despite this, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) declared: “The risk to the wider public is very low.”
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UKHSA also refused to speculate on whether filthy water was the cause and said it would be sending those with symptoms a questionnaire and asking for samples.
The location of the swim has been the centre of a long-running dispute between government and campaigners over sewage discharges.
Jake Birthwistle, an Australian triathlete at the event, shared the EA’s results on Instagram.
He then fumed: “Have been feeling pretty rubbish since the race, but I guess that’s what you get when you swim in s***. The swim should have been cancelled.
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“At least I know now what got me and a bunch of other athletes who raced sick and ill. Well done and I hope you get better soon too.”
A second wrote: “That now explains why I spent Monday night with my head in the toilet after racing Sunday morning!”
Amid the complaints, UKHSA chief executive Professor Dame Jenny told BBC Radio 4: “I think we need to be really careful in establishing the facts, in fact that’s why the UKHSA’s North East team are looking into this.”
The EA also said the water off the beach last year was excellent based on previous samples in the last four summers.
British Triathalon, the governing body for UK triathalons, said their own testing passed the required standards for the events.
A statement on their website added: “We are aware there are concerns around water quality results for a test taken on 26 July by the Environment Agency as part of their regular testing in the local area.
“These tests were taken outside of the Roker Pier arms and not in the body of water used for the swim and published on Monday 31 July following the event.”
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Northumbrian Water said there had been no discharges into the water since October 2021.
They said: “Both bathing waters were designated as ‘excellent’ in the latest Defra classifications and sampling to date in the current season indicate this high quality is being maintained.”
Source: Athletics - thesun.co.uk
