Michigan State Swim Team Suffers Chemical Burns
Unsafe levels of chemicals in a Michigan State pool caused dry skin, redness, and irritation—and later, hair loss and skin burns—for members of the school's men's and women's swimming and diving teams. "I had a dry throat, I didn't have hair on my arms anymore, our eyebrows turned really blond," one swimmer described to the State News. "And I still had really dry skin that (made it) about unbearable to sleep."
The swimmers quickly noticed something wrong after the first day of practice—and mentioned it to the coaching staff—still, the students were told to return to practice for two more days. "They kept saying they understood, they knew what was going on, but they didn't really know what was going on in the pool." The coaching staff says the problems were due to construction and maintenance, and that they were never told it was unsafe to swim in the pool. "From one day to the next, at least atmospherically, it got better, so we just assumed the water was better," Coach Matt Gianiodis told the State News. "Once we found out about (the unsafe levels), we got them out."
A handful of athletes failed to show up for the third day altogether, while others felt intimidated to return. "I don't want to miss a day of training, but at the same time, I didn't want to get in the pool. It felt like I was being forced, I guess."
Tags: sports | Michigan State University | swimming | chemicals
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Reader Comments
Pool Therapy VS rash, itching and breaking out with sore's all over my body.
I had to take pool therapy for a hip-replacement. I had to stop after three days, due to dry skin, breaking out and itching. It has been over a month and I am going to a second Dermatology after 3-visits as I am still breaking out with a rash all over my body and nothing has changed from those three days of pool therapy under medical supervison.
MSU swimmers
The coaches ignored the swimmers concerns and took the easy convenient, irresponsible route. These athletes are not flakes that compalin at nothing. No one checked the problem. Passive management. Have they apologized to the team? Are they liable.?
Michigan State Swim Team Suffers Chemical Burns
The student should sue the bathing suits out of the coaches. I can't believe, even for a second, that the coaches didn't noticed that it wasn't one or two athletes complaining. We more than three people complaint about something, you have to take the time and find out what's going on. That they were never told that it was unsafe to swim in that pool? Yes, you were told. The students told you. "Once we found out about (the unsafe levels), we got them out." The students kept complaining and you did not mind them. What changed from one day to the next? Who finally told you about the water that you did believe that person but not the students?
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