Paris, France – Olympic organizers have canceled the second day of triathlon training on the Seine River due to ongoing water pollution issues, casting uncertainty over the schedule for the upcoming men’s and women’s races.
The decision was announced on Monday, just a day before the men’s triathlon was set to take place. Organizers are expected to make a last-minute decision on whether to proceed with the race based on the latest water quality test results.
Heavy rains during the opening ceremony on Friday and over the weekend led to spills of raw sewage, which have severely impacted the water quality of the Seine. In a joint statement, Paris 2024 organizers and the World Triathlon Federation explained that the cancellation of Monday’s swimming training session was due to water quality levels that “are not sufficient to guarantee the holding of the swimming training session.”
Despite these concerns, the organizers remain hopeful. Christophe Karas, a weather forecaster for Paris 2024, noted that sunny weather is currently helping to keep bacteria levels low, and he expressed confidence that contamination levels would decrease before the competition begins. However, forecasts indicate that storms could impact the area, with a storm moving from central France towards Paris and potentially hitting on Tuesday evening.
“If a storm hits Paris tomorrow night and causes heavy rainfall, this will affect the water quality of the Seine,” Karas said. The potential storm could also impact the women’s race scheduled for Wednesday.
French authorities have invested 1.4 billion euros ($1.5 billion) over the past decade to clean up the Seine, including the construction of new water treatment and storage facilities. However, heavy rains continue to overwhelm the city’s drainage system, leading to discharges of untreated wastewater into the river.
The Seine had been consistently failing water quality tests until early July, raising concerns for the Paris 2024 organizers. The levels of E. coli, an indicator of fecal matter, had sometimes been ten times higher than the approved limit.
The triathlon is set to be the first Olympic event to take place on a river, with the marathon swimming event scheduled for the second week of the Games. The men’s race will feature notable competitors including Norway’s Christian Blumenfeld, Britain’s Alex Lee, New Zealand’s Hayden Wilde, and French athletes Leo Bergere and Dorian Coninx.
Paris 2024 organizers have built flexibility into the schedule, with the option to delay the race by a few days if necessary. As a contingency, they could potentially convert the triathlon into a duathlon, consisting of running and cycling only, and relocate the marathon swimming to Vers-sur-Marne, on the Marne River east of Paris.
In a bid to demonstrate the city’s readiness, Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo swam in the Seine with Paris 2024 organizer Tony Estanguet on July 17. Hidalgo, who plans to build three public baths on the Seine next year, aims to reinstate swimming in the river a century after it was banned.
