In light of the news that the E.coli levels were exceptionally high in the water at WTCS Sunderland and the rates of sickness that have followed, World Triathlon have issued a communication to the participants of the event.
You can read the full communication below:
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Dear friend,
British Triathlon and World Triathlon are aware of illness among some participants following AJ Bell 2023 World Triathlon Championship Series Sunderland. We are working with Sunderland City Council and the UK Health Security Agency North East (UKHSA North East) in line with their routine processes.
Whilst the cause of this illness is being investigated by the relevant authorities, anyone who is or who has been feeling unwell is encouraged to view the online resources below. Diarrhoea and vomiting is usually a self-limiting illness, however it is important to follow the advice available. If you are concerned about any illness you may be experiencing please call your GP.
For information about diarrhoea and vomiting, please view the NHS website here. For information about staying safe when open water swimming, please view the information from the UK Health Security Agency here.
Participants who have already reported illness to British Triathlon are being contacted by UKHSA North East to support their investigations. If you have experienced diarrhoea and vomiting, please contact [email protected].
We are aware there are concerns around water quality results for a test taken on 26 July by the Environment Agency as part of their regular testing in the local area. These tests were taken outside of the Roker Pier arms and not in the body of water used for the swim and published on Monday 31 July following the event.
Below is an outline of information and a timeline of water testing activity:
– In line with the World Triathlon guidelines for hosting a World Triathlon Championship Series event, a series of water quality tests were undertaken in the build up to the event including on Thursday 20 July and analysed in a United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) accredited laboratory. These results were received on Tuesday 25 July and passed the required standard to host the event. You can view the test results in the statement here
– Also in line with World Triathlon guidelines, a further test was conducted during the course of the event on Sunday 30 July and analysed in a UKAS accredited laboratory. Indicative results were received on Wednesday 2 August and passed the required standard to host the event. You can view the test results in the statement here
– Both of these tests were taken within the Roker Pier arms where the swim leg of AJ Bell 2023 World Triathlon Championship Series Sunderland took place
– On Monday 31 July, data was published by the Environment Agency showing reduced water quality was detected on Wednesday 26 July in an area of Roker Beach outside of the pier arms and swim area of the event
– Since Monday 31 July, British Triathlon has been working closely with Sunderland City Council and UK Health Security Agency to seek further information and investigate the cause of the illness British Triathlon will continue to work with Sunderland City Council and UKHSA North East on this matter.
Kind regards,
British Triathlon and World Triathlon
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There are several points to take away from World Triathlon’s communication.
The first thing to note is the dissonance of the message. On the one hand World Triathlon have reiterated that, as per the testing they undertook, the water was safe. On the other, they acknowledge there have been reports of illness since the event.
If the water was completely safe, there likely would not have been such reports of sickness. World Triathlon’s message therefore appears to deny the danger posed while simultaneously conceding that something must have happened for the athletes to fall ill.
In the opening paragraph of the email, World Triathlon refer to “some participants” falling ill.
Anecdotally, over 100 athletes that took part in the races in Sunderland have reported sickness since racing Sunderland. The true number is not yet known however some athletes have privately confirmed that, almost a week after the race, they are still suffering from the sickness caused.
The use of “some” may have been a simple case of poor choice of word. Yet it comes across as if there is an attempt to minimise what happened and brush it aside.
With regards to the Environment Agency water tests that revealed E.coli levels of 3900 colonies per 100ml, World Triathlon notes that the data was only made available after the event.
However, they also argue that the body of water tested was not the same area in which the swim at WTCS Sunderland was held. The email states that the “tests were taken outside of the Roker Pier arms” with the implication being that they were not relevant to the water quality at WTCS Sunderland.
It is generally uncommon for the sea to remain in situ for multiple days at the time.
The reaction to the 26 July test is understandable given that World Triathlon would realistically prefer to avoid any liability for any sickness caused. To deny they knew of the test and to then deny the relevance of the test helps maintain a level of plausible deniability.
Still, the approach is a little problematic.
World Triathlon (and British Triathlon) know people have been sick after the event. Moreover, in World Triathlon’s own pre-race water quality tests, one of the readings for E.coli (of 220) was alarmingly close to the 250 limit. Even without the Environment Agency report, the presence of 220 colonies per 100ml signalled that there was at least some risk.
The problem with World Triathlon’s denial approach is that it robs the situation of accountability.
In many areas of life, especially political, it has become vogue to deny wrongdoing and shift the blame wherever possible. Maybe it is unfair to hold World Triathlon to a standard of admitting when something went wrong.
But people got sick.
At the end of the day, it can be argued that vomiting and diarrhoea, while unpleasant, are manageable and brief illnesses. The nature of the illness, though, should be irrelevant to the discussion.
World Triathlon, whether knowingly or unknowingly, put people in harm’s way. As organisers of the WTCS, they have a responsibility towards the athlete and they could apologise for what happened. Instead, they have chosen to diminish and obfuscate wherever possible.
The lack of accountability from World Triathlon, or at least an admission that the water could have been unsafe, means three things will come from this.
With no admission of error, World Triathlon has no incentive to change or improve its water quality assessment process. Regardless of the Environment Agency numbers, the rate of sickness should be enough to push World Triathlon to do something. Their denial approach does not make this likely.
The next issue is that when this happens again the same denial will be forthcoming. Unsafe water quality can have far worse impacts than vomiting. People can be hospitalised or pick up long-lasting illnesses. No matter how bad the outcome gets, though, World Triathlon will have set a precedent to deny and move on.
The third outcome of World Triathlon’s refusal to assume any responsibility is a breakdown of trust with the athletes. In less than two weeks, they are supposed to hop into the Seine in Paris to contest the Olympic Test Event. Although major efforts have been made to clean the river, for the best part of a century it has been considered dangerous. What reason will any athlete now have to believe World Triathlon when they say it is safe?
On the note of the Test Event, several of those that were hit by sickness will have a race to recover and return to full fitness before the racing begins.
In the end if there is to be no accountability for the Sunderland episode, then World Triathlon will essentially be free to put the athletes in any water it deems healthy which, as we’ve seen, might not be the best barometer to use.
No one wants a cover-up or a conspiracy. No one wants to suspect something fishy when things go wrong like this.
All World Triathlon had to do was apologise and acknowledge the slimmest level of blame. Instead, they chose to tell athletes that the water was safe.
