57 swimmers were struck down with sickness and diarrhea after competing in open water at a world championship: report

Alia Shoaib
Updated ·2 min read
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  • 57 swimmers fell sick and got diarrhea following a sea-swimming competition in Sunderland, England.

  • The Environment Agency took a sample of the water and found high levels of E. coli.

  • Environmental groups have criticized British water companies for dumping in rivers and on beaches.

At least 57 swimmers fell sick and got diarrhea following sea-swimming competitions in Sunderland, England, The Guardian reported.

An Environment Agency sampling from the area three days before the event showed high levels of E. coli, an enterobacterium used in public health as an indicator of fecal pollution and which can lead to an infection causing intestinal illness and diarrhea, the paper reported.

But British Triathlon, the governing body for triathlons, aquathlons, and duathlons in the UK, said the sampling results were outside the body of the water where the competitions took place and that the results were not published until after the events.

The UK Health Security Agency said it would test samples from those who fell ill to establish the cause and any common pathogens, The Guardian reported.

Jacob Birtwhistle, an Australian triathlete who took part in the competition, posted a photo of the Environment Agency sample results and wrote: "Have been feeling pretty rubbish since the race, but I guess that's what you get when you swim in shit."

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Other athletes who had competed in the competition also weighed in, with one commenting, "I'm still feeling nauseous" and another adding that this "explains why I spent Monday night with my head in the toilet."

The triathlon event took place on July 29 as part of the 2023 World Triathlon Championship Series and involved 2,000 participants. It included a swim off Roker Beach.

Environmental groups have criticized British water companies for dumping sewage into rivers and beaches, and the event took place in an area where campaigners and the government have been battling over the issue, The Guardian reported.

British Triathlon said it would work closely with the Sunderland City Council and health authorities to establish the cause of the illnesses, The Guardian reported.

Read the original article on Insider