Sharon van Rouwendaal slaked thirst with Seine water on way to second gold

PARIS – 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 Aug 8 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’s race is on Aug 9 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 (S$2 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, she said she was scratched by thorny bushes.

Her 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 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 a day earlier.

“That was amazing. That spot was very low current. It was really easy for her to swim there,” he said. “But it was her call when to do it. She’s such an experienced swimmer and I don’t need to interfere with that.”

Earlier on Aug 7, Panipak Wongpattanakit made history as she became the first Thai to win two golds when she retained her Tokyo title in the taekwondo women’s flyweight division (-49kg) against China’s Guo Qing.

Panipak won 6-3, 2-3, 6-2, clinching the victory with two kicks to the head, which yielded three points each.

At a press conference after the medal ceremony, the beaming Thai confirmed reports that she would now retire.

“I am very excited... to make this victory for Thailand,” Panipak said, adding that injuries affecting her knee, ankle and hip had led to her decision to step down.

“I have a gym in Thailand,” she told a reporter, adding to laughter: “If you want to learn with me, come to Thailand.”

Panipak had already risen to fame in her home country by getting Thailand’s first gold in taekwondo in Tokyo three years ago.

With 1.6 million followers on TikTok, she is noted for the way she kicks by raising her leg from the back to strike the trunk protector.

Panipak, who turned 27 on Aug 8, has had the same coach, Chatchai Choi, for 13 years. He was instrumental in persuading her not to quit the sport after she was disappointed at winning bronze at the 2016 Rio Olympics.

Also in combat sports, Cuba’s Erislandy Alvarez broke the hearts of a delirious French crowd when he beat local favourite Sofiane Oumiha by split decision in the men’s lightweight (63kg) boxing final.

Alvarez, who was beaten by Oumiha in the final of the 2023 world championships, let out his joy with some shadow boxing in the ring before celebrating a deserved victory with his camp. AFP, REUTERS