Olympic swimmers who have been swimming in the Seine River have turned to the official partner of the Games, Coca-Cola, to fend off any infection from bacteria in the water.
Top swimmers now swear by the beverage, according to athletes from different teams who spoke with The Wall Street Journal.
โThereโs no harm in drinking a Coke after a race,โ New Zealand triathlete Ainsley Thorp said. โIf you Google it, it says it can help.โ
โThe myth of Coca-Cola is true,โ Moesha Johnson of Team Australia said. โWe will often have a Coca-Cola afterward just to try to flush out anything inside of us.โ
Johnson mentioned the solution was not her own idea, saying, โI just do what Iโm told by the professionals around me.โ
Although the theory that Coca-Cola may be useful for the gut is being endorsed by the best of the best, the president of the American Gastroenterological Association, Dr. Maria Abreu, isnโt as inclined to agree. She told the outlet that since a healthy stomach is more acidic than Coke, the beverage wouldnโt be able to kill off any additional bacteria.
โThese are young, athletic people,โ she explained. โTheyโre going to be healthy people whose stomach acid is going to be nice and robust.โ
Water quality in the Seine has been a persistent concern in Paris. Swimming in the river has largely been prohibited for the last century because the long-polluted river contains bacteria-laden wastewater, creating unsafe levels of E. coli.
While World Aquatics has ensured that the quality is within acceptable guidelines for illness-causing bacteria, swimmers are taking extra precautions to avoid any unforeseen problems.
Bronze medalist Daniel Wiffen of Ireland, who won gold in the 800 free, said he wouldnโt train ahead of time in the Seine: โI donโt want to try to deal with any illness.โ He added he would rather go โin blindโ for an event, opting for pools.
Others who dove into the waterway admitted they werenโt so sure about competing there.
โI think if anyoneโs saying theyโre not concerned at all, theyโre probably lying,โ Austriaโs Felix Aubeck shared. โI am concerned. I just hope and trust the organization in the sense that they will let us in only when itโs safe enough to do so. But, of course, youโre concerned because no one wants to get ill.โ
Belgiumโs Olympic committee (COIB) withdrew from the mixed relay triathlon event after Claire Michel, who swam in the Seine River last week, became ill. Belgian newspaper De Standaard claimed that the 35-year-old was infected with E. coli.