In a setback for the Paris 2024 Olympics, organizers have canceled the second scheduled triathlon training session on Monday due to poor water quality in the Seine River, mirroring a similar cancellation the day before. Despite the recent heavy rainfall exacerbating pollution levels, officials remain hopeful that conditions will improve in time for the men’s triathlon on Tuesday.
A joint statement from Paris 2024 and World Triathlon revealed that the decision to cancel Monday’s training was made because the “water quality levels do not present sufficient guarantees” for safe practice. The triathlon, which marks the first Olympic event to be held in the Seine, is followed by marathon swimming scheduled for the second week of the Games. The swimming training session on Sunday was also scrapped due to similar pollution issues.
The men’s individual triathlon is set to commence on Tuesday at 8:00 a.m. local time (0600 GMT), with the women’s event scheduled for Wednesday. The water quality in the Seine is heavily influenced by rainfall in Paris and surrounding areas.
Recent heavy downpours, including those that drenched the opening ceremony on Friday, have overwhelmed the city’s sewage system, leading to the discharge of untreated sewage into the river. Paris 2024 organizers and World Triathlon, however, expressed confidence that the water quality would improve before the competition begins, given the upcoming weather forecast.
Following the rain on Friday and Saturday, clear skies have returned to Paris since Sunday morning. An unusually wet spring and early summer had previously caused the Seine to consistently fail water quality tests until early July, with E. coli levels—an indicator of fecal contamination—reaching up to ten times the legal limit.
Paris 2024 organizers have the option to delay outdoor swimming events if necessary. As a contingency, they have planned to cancel the swimming segment of the triathlon and relocate the marathon swimming to Vaires-sur-Marne, located on the Marne River east of Paris, if conditions do not improve.
In an effort to address water quality concerns, French authorities have invested 1.4 billion euros ($1.5 billion) over the past decade to clean up the Seine. On July 17, Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo and Paris 2024 chief organizer Tony Estanguet swam in the Seine to showcase its readiness for the Olympics.
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