About 20 Triathletes Sickened After Swimming in Oklahoma River

Staff and Wire Reports

OKLAHOMA CITY -- Less than two weeks ago, hundreds of athletes participating in a triathlon were swimming in the Oklahoma River and recently, some of them believe something in the water made them very ill.

Oklahoma City was once again put on the map, as the Boathouse International Triathlon attracted nearly 400 athletes from all across North America. Organizers said the event was flawless, but that was before getting the bad news.

The event, which includes swimming, cycling and running, began with a 1.5-kilometer swim in the Oklahoma River, starting at the docks by the Chesapeake Boathouse near downtown. The river, formerly a ditch that handled runoff, has been transformed in recent years into prime venue for rowing events, but this was the first time a triathlon was held there.

"Over the weekend, we found out there was a number of athletes that maybe had some kind of diarrhea-like symptoms that had occurred," said Mike Knopp, Chesapeake Boathouse executive director.

At least 16 athletes who swam in the Oklahoma River reported similar symptoms including vomiting, fever and abdominal pain.

The State Department of Health said there's a possibility those participants were exposed to high levels of bacteria from fecal matter in the water, but investigations are still on-going to find out if the river is the real reason they were sick, or if it was something else.

"They were all in different locations together, eating different types of foods, so we're are really looking at all aspects of that," Knopp said. "There really is no way to know where exactly it came from."

Scott Schnitzspahn, the performance director of USA Triathlon in Colorado said the outbreak of illness is rare, but not unheard of.

"I wouldn't say it's common, but it's a risk any triathlete takes when they go compete in a triathlon in open water," Schnitzspahn said.

Most of the athletes who were sick have recovered, but one woman from Boston told the Associated Press she believes it was the water that has made people sick because she didn't stay at the same hotel as the other competitors and didn't consume the same food and beverages as the others did, yet still became ill.

The Oklahoma River has had problems with fecal coliform pollution, but bacteria tests conducted several months prior to the event came back clear. Officials said it's possible heavy rain that fell several days before the event may have raised those levels.

The river opened to the public in December 2004. According to the city's Web site, swimming is not allowed in the river.