Triathlon Training Halted in Paris Due to Seine Pollution
Olympic organizers have canceled triathlon training in the Seine River for a second consecutive day, just 24 hours before the men’s race, over concerns about water quality.
Recent heavy rainfall in Paris has increased both pollution levels and the speed of the river’s current. This has resulted in water quality levels that “did not provide sufficient guarantees to allow the event to be held,” according to Paris 2024 organizers and World Triathlon, the sport’s international federation.
Officials, however, remain optimistic. They expressed confidence that the event would proceed as planned, noting that a day of warm sunshine on Monday could help lower water and bacteria levels. “The required flow of the river of one cubic meter per second has been met and we don’t have an issue,” Paris 2024 Organizing Committee CEO Etienne Thobois told a news conference.
Impact of Heavy Rains
The Seine’s water quality is heavily dependent on rainfall in and around Paris. The heavy downpours witnessed on Friday during the Opening Ceremony overwhelmed the city’s sewage system, leading to untreated wastewater entering the river.
Until early July, the Seine had consistently failed water tests, showing unsafe levels of E. coli bacteria, an indicator of fecal contamination. Swimming in the Seine has been banned for over a century due to poor water quality.
In preparation for the Olympics, organizers have invested $1.5 billion over the past decade to improve the river’s condition. Measures include constructing a giant basin to prevent wastewater from flowing into the Seine and renovating sewer infrastructure.
Contingency Plans in Place
A final decision on whether Tuesday’s triathlon race will proceed as scheduled will be made at 4 a.m. local time, four hours before the men’s event. Organizers have reserved August 2 as a backup date for the individual races and August 6 for the mixed relay.
If elevated bacteria levels persist, the swimming portion of the race will be abandoned, and athletes will compete in a duathlon instead. As a last resort, the marathon swimming event could be moved to Vaires-sur-Marne, on the Marne River east of Paris.
Other events have already been affected by the rain, including men’s skateboarding and tennis, which had to be rescheduled.
The triathlon is set to be the first Olympic event held in the Seine, with marathon swimming scheduled for the second week of the Games.
Reference(s):
Triathlon swimming training canceled over poor Seine water quality
cgtn.com
