Irish double medal-winning Olympian Daniel Wiffen said Monday he had been rushed to hospital in Paris with a stomach bug, two days after taking part in the marathon swimming in the River Seine. 

The 800m swimming champion and 1500m bronze medalist was meant to be carrying the Irish flag during Sunday's closing ceremony but could not appear. “Thanks to everyone who reached out, I am highly disappointed to miss out on the opportunity to be flag bearer last night,” Wiffen wrote on X in the early hours of Monday. 

He revealed, “Yesterday I rushed to the hospital as I was very unwell with a bug that I am being treated for, and am feeling better now.”

Wiffen took part in the men's 10-kilometer marathon swim in the River Seine on Friday, finishing 18th with a time of 1 hour 58 minutes. 

He did not link his illness to the water and organizers stress that health problems should not be automatically attributed to the river.

At least three athletes out of more than a hundred who took part in the men's and women's triathlons on 31st July reported illness after diving into the Seine during the swimming leg of the event.