The men’s and women’s Olympic triathlons will proceed on Wednesday after tests confirmed the River Seine is clean enough for competition. This decision follows the postponement of Tuesday’s men’s event due to concerns over water quality in the Seine.
Initially, organizers had estimated only a 60% chance of the events taking place following Tuesday’s postponement. However, the latest water analysis results, received early Wednesday morning, were deemed compliant by World Triathlon, ensuring the races could go ahead as scheduled.
Among the competitors, Great Britain’s Alex Yee is a strong contender for gold in the men’s race, while his teammate Beth Potter, the reigning women’s world champion, will also compete. The clearance for the triathlon events removes the previous concern that the races might need to be converted to a duathlon—comprising only cycling and running—as a last resort.
Daily tests of the Seine’s water quality are conducted, with recent heavy rains having previously rendered the river too polluted for competition. Earlier in the Games, swimming training sessions were canceled due to poor water quality. Nonetheless, organizers remained optimistic about the triathlon events proceeding as planned.
The Seine is also set to host several other events, including the triathlon mixed relay on August 5, the Olympic marathon swimming on August 8 and 9, and the Para-triathlon event at the Paralympics, which start on August 28. Swimming in the Seine has been banned for over a century due to high pollution levels and associated health risks. However, French authorities have invested heavily—around 1.4 billion euros (£1.2 billion)—in a regeneration project to ensure the river is safe for the Games.
Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo recently swam in the Seine to showcase the success of these cleanup efforts. Tests earlier this month confirmed that the river was safe for swimming. However, heavy rains in Paris over the weekend had temporarily deteriorated the water quality. Forecasts predict thundery showers on Wednesday morning, following Tuesday’s high temperatures of up to 35°C.
Despite France trailing behind the European Union’s average score for top-quality bathing water, recent data between July 17-23 indicated that the Seine was suitable for swimming on six out of seven days. As recently as June, levels of E. coli in the river were ten times above the acceptable level set by sports federations.
With the latest tests confirming safe conditions, athletes and spectators can look forward to the triathlon events proceeding as planned, ensuring an exciting continuation of the Olympic Games in Paris.
Melissa Enoch
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