Olympics triathlon practice canceled due to Seine pollution levels

Field Level Media|published: Sun 28th July, 11:17 2024

Oct 22, 2022; Paris, FRANCE; General view the Eiffel Tower and the Seine river, as seen from Pont Alexandre III in advance of the Paris 2024 Summer Olympic Games. The bridge will serve as the site for triathlon, open water swim and road cycling. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports

PARIS -- The Olympics' triathlon swimming training session scheduled for Sunday was canceled after recent heavy rain affected pollution levels in the Seine, organizers said in a statement.

A lot is riding on Olympic triathletes being cleared to swim in Paris' central waterway when the competition kicks off on Tuesday, with France investing $1.52 billion in new wastewater infrastructure to cut sewage levels and make the iconic river swimmable for residents as a key legacy of the Games.

Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo took a dip in the Seine on July 17 to try to convince doubters that the water would be clean enough for athletes to compete in the river, as they did during the 1900 Olympics.

"We have had some rainfall but everything that has been put in place has worked. It prevents overflows from occurring so I think we will reach a satisfying quality of the water very soon, but it will depend on the weather forecast as well," Pierre Rabadan, the city's deputy mayor for sports, told a news conference on Sunday.

Tests carried out in the Seine on Saturday "revealed water quality levels that in the view of the international federation, World Triathlon, did not provide sufficient guarantees to allow the event to be held," organizers from Paris 2024 said in a statement.

"This is due to rain that has fallen on Paris on July 26-27."

Organizers said that, given the forecast for sunshine and higher temperatures over the next 48 hours, they were "confident" water quality would improve again before the triathlon events begin on Tuesday with the men's race.

World Triathlon meets with Paris city authorities at 4 a.m. each morning ahead of triathlon training or competition events to analyze the latest water test results and decide whether the Seine is clean enough for athletes to swim.

The running and cycling course familiarization sessions were going ahead as planned on Sunday.

In May, the city unveiled a new 46,000 cubic meter storage basin meant to contain rainwater and wastewater to reduce pollution levels in the river.

--Reuters, Special to Field Level Media

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