Tyler Mislawchuk knows that to be successful, one has to give it their all.
And sometimes, that comes with a whole lot of puke. After the athlete, who represented Canada in the 2024 Paris Olympics, went viral for throwing up 10 times after swimming in the Seine River during the men’s triathlon July 31, he gave insight into what really caused his upset stomach.
"I happened to swallow a lot of water during the race," Tyler told CBC Aug. 1. "Nothing to do with the quality. My stomach was just extremely full, and so that ended up being a limiting factor for me in the race. You put that with one hour, 40 minutes of going as hard as you can, stuff’s going to happen."
The 29-year-old, who placed 9th in the competition, didn’t expect his post-race moment to make headlines. Laughing, he added, "It’s all over the internet and it's not why I want to go viral."
The weather was also a factor. Being from Canada, where he emphasized how cold it can get, he’s not quite acclimated to France’s summer weather, either. But that didn’t stop Tyler—who had to withdraw from the 2020 Tokyo Games due to an Achilles injury—from giving it his all.
"At my last Olympics there was the injury and with all the stuff that happened there was a lot of 'what ifs,'" he explained to Triathlon Magazine in an interview published July 31. "I have no 'what ifs' on the day, I went for it, it was absolutely everything. I vomited 10 times after the race … it got hot in the last laps."
It’s not surprising that the Seine River’s water quality came into question when he started vomiting, as their race was postponed from its initial July 30 start date due to unsafe levels of fecal matter following heavy rain.
Tyler wasn’t the only athlete to speak about the Seine’s water quality. Belgian triathlete Jolien Vermeylen, who competed in the women’s race after the men’s, shared her less than impressed decision to hold the competitions in the famed river.
"While swimming under the bridge, I felt and saw things that we shouldn’t think about too much," she told reporters. "The Seine has been dirty for a hundred years, so they can’t say that the safety of the athletes is a priority. That’s bulls--t!"
Ahead of the 2024 Olympics, the city of Paris spent $1.5 billion to clean up the Seine, where swimming had been banned since 1923. To soothe critics' concerns, the city’s mayor Anne Hidalgo, Paris 2024 Olympic President Tony Estanguet and other officials took a swim in the river to prove its safety.
"The water is wonderful," Anne told NBC News after her swim July 17, noting that the water was "very cool and very nice."
Keep reading for more moments at the 2024 Olympics.
(E! News and NBC News are part of the NBCUniversal family.)
Let's GOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
LeBron James and Steph Curry were definitely feeling it after the USA men's basketball team beat Serbia to advance to the finals.
2 Become 1
Xu Shixiao and Sun Mengya from Team China were clearly working together during the women's canoe double 500-meter semifinal.
Come On, Gold!
Team USA's Sha'carri Richardson picked up her first gold in the women's 4x100-meter relay.
A Most Iconic Duo
Everyone's favorite BFFs Snoop Dogg and Martha Stewart hitched a ride on a golf cart.
High Kicks
Team China's Liang Yushuai gave folks a new photo pose to try next time they visit the Eiffel Tower.
Careful With the Bike!
Dutch cyclist Harrie Lavreysen was very enthusiastic about nabbing a second gold medal.
Shock and Awe
Emma Roberts couldn't believe what she was seeing during the men's semi-final basketball match between the USA and Serbia.
Chomping On the Gold
Tara Davis-Woodhall of Team USA went for the customary biting of the medal after winning gold in the women's long jump.
Don't Lose Your Shirt
Sergio Camello of Spain found his own way to celebrate after scoring his fifth goal against France.
A Trip to Sesame Street
Elmo loves getting hugs from Simone Biles.
Tuck It In
Emilia Nilsson Garip of Sweden dove into the water during the women's 3 meters springboard final.
A Slam Dunk
Gabrielle Union was cheering on Team USA as they went head-to-head with Serbia in the men's basketball semi-final match.
Nothing Left For Them To Do But Dance
Team Spain got into the groove during the rhythmic gymnastics competition.
Royal Onlookers
Ben-Sylvester Strautmann, Alexandra de Hanovre, Prince Albert of Monaco and Alain Bernard cheer while at the Men's Team Bronze medal match.
Double the Fun
Paulina Paszek and Jule Marie Hake of Team Germany celebrate earning third place in the Women's kayak double 500m final.
Zoom In
Carmelo Anthony wanted to remember the moment as he and son Kiyan Anthony watched Team USA beat Serbia in men's basketball.
A Queen
Team USA's Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone celebrated after breaking her own record and winning gold in the women's 400m hurdles final.
Twisting Every Which Way
Elzhana Taniyeva of Kazakhstan showed off her very impressive range at the rhythmic gymnastics Individual all round.
Parisian Pride
One fan really wanted everyone to know which country he was rooting for.
Go, Dad, Go
Bronny James cheered on father LeBron James as Team USA took on Serbia in the Men's basketball semifinals competition.
Quick Break
Noah Lyles of Team USA needed a second after competing in the men's 200m final.
Not the Face!
Great Britain's Bradly Sinden tried to protect the goods during the Men's Taekwondo 68kg quarterfinals.
Dance It Out
Italy's Milena Baldassarri put on quite the show during the rhythmic gymnastics individual all-around competition.
Yee-Haw!
Tara David-Woodhall pulled out the cowboy hat after winning gold in women's long jump competition.
Flying Through the Air
Team USA's Tom Schaar put on quite the aerial display while competing in the men's park skateboarding final.
Go Team!
USA's water polo team was full of excitement as they beat Australia and advanced to the semifinals.
Going for the Ball
The game was heated as the USA took on Nigeria in the women's quarterfinal basketball match.
One Final Hurdle
Grant Holloway repped the USA after winning the gold medal in the Men's 110m hurdles final.
Do You Even Lift?
Venezuela's Katherin Echandia Zarate showed that she never skips arm day during the weightlifting competition.
An Unfortuante Spill
Michelle Jenneke of Australia didn't quite clear her hurdle in her Women's 100m heat.