The Portuguese Olympic Committee (COP) issued an official statement, informing that triathlete Vasco Vilaça developed symptoms compatible with a gastrointestinal infection in the last few hours.

In the official statement, the COP guarantees that Vilaça, who participated in the men's triathlon and mixed relay events, is stable and that "all measures are being taken by the COP health team to monitor and provide conservative treatment for the athlete at the Olympic Village". Athlete Melanie Santos also developed similar symptoms but in a less acute form.

"World Triathlon, the international federation of the sport, ensured, during the days of the Triathlon competition, that the assessment of the water quality complied with the defined regulations. Despite compliance with the required safety limits, the presence of some of the parameters assessed poses a risk of infection in this environmental context", the official statement from the Portuguese organisation also states.

These are not the first cases of symptoms of infection among athletes participating in the Olympic Games, after swimming in the River Seine. The quality of the water in the French river has generated controversy and led to several postponements of events and training sessions.