Junior rowers fall ill after test event in Rio
A technician from Rio's State Institute for the Environment uses a multi-parametric probe to ascertain the conditions of the water in the Rodrigo de Freitas lake.
At least 14 foreign athletes fell sick during the World Junior Rowing Championship, a test event for the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games, at the Rodrigo de Freitas lake, southern Rio de Janeiro. According to the Rio 2016 Organizing Committee, eight American, three British, and three Australian athletes suffered diarrhea.
The committee reported that, while receiving medical assistance before the competition, they had been diagnosed with “traveler's diarrhea,” an intestinal condition common after long trips. However, in an interview with the Associated Press, US team doctor Kathryn Ackerman said she suspects the cause may be the with the lake's water.
On July 30, the Associated Press had published the results of a commissioned study, which describes water conditions as terrible in the lake, as well as in Marina da Glória, Guanabara Bay, and also Copacabana and Ipanema beaches. According to the agency, contamination from the water may infect athletes.
On the occasion, the city hall declared that water conditions were within acceptable levels as established by the International Olympic Committee for the Games. Local water utility Cedae guaranteed its facilities are appropriately maintained and did not contribute to the rise in pollution in the area.
Translated by Fabrício Ferreira
Fonte: Junior rowers fall ill after test event in Rio
