Um, one Olympic athlete says he doesn’t wash his hands to build up his E. coli tolerance

Um, one Olympic athlete competing in Paris this year has said he’s trying to increase his E. coli tolerance by not washing his hands after going to the toilet. Weird flex but ok??

US triathlete Seth Rider is competing in this year’s triathlon, where the swim component is taking part in the Seine.

The men’s individual triathlon race at this year’s Games was postponed yesterday due to the water quality in Paris’ River Seine. It instead took place this morning but athletes are still at the risk of getting ill.

Speaking about the risk of E. coli in the Seine, Seth Rider said: “We know that there’s going to be some E. coli exposure, so I just try to increase my E. coli threshold by exposing myself to a bit of E. coli in day-to-day life,”

“And it’s actually backed by science. Proven methods. Just little things throughout your day, like not washing your hands after you go to the bathroom.” Note to self: Don’t shake hands with Seth Rider.

One competitor is willing to go to extreme lengths to compete in the triathlon at #Paris2024, even if he's faced with the pollution issues in the River Seine ⚠️ #Olympics #BBCOlympics pic.twitter.com/Xl8EASq7lg

— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) July 30, 2024

Last week, the mayor’s office in Paris released bacteria results which showed E. coli levels were just below the safe limit set by the World Triathlon Federation – 900 colony-forming units per 100 milliliters.

However, an inspection of the river on Tuesday (30 July) found pollution levels had become too high for athletes to safely swim in, prompting organizers to postpone the men’s triathlon event until today (31 July). Organisers also had the option to drop the swimming and make the event a duathlon.

Efforts to clean the water included the creation of a giant basin to capture rainwater while preventing wastewater from finding its way into the river. Furthermore, sewer infrastructure was renovated and wastewater treatment plants were also upgraded.

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However, organisers knew heavy rain in the days before a competition could still cause the levels of the harmful bacteria E. Coli to rise.

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Featured image before edits via Instagram.