The World Triathlon, the organization that oversees the sport, stated on Monday that the men’s individual triathlon competition at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris has been postponed because of low water quality in the Seine River.
The men’s competition was originally slated for Tuesday, but World Triathlon, its medical staff, the International Olympic Committee, and Paris city officials decided to move it to Wednesday.
According to the press release, “Paris 2024 and World Triathlon reiterate that their priority is the health of the athletes. The tests carried out in Seine today revealed water quality levels that did not provide sufficient guarantees to allow the event to be held.”
Over the weekend, Paris was hammered by heavy rains, which soaked Friday’s opening ceremony and raised questions about the river’s water quality, which typically drops following rainfall.
Water quality tests on Monday declared the water unfit for athletes, forcing organizers to postpone training for a second day in a row. Despite this, they were optimistic that Tuesday’s race will proceed as scheduled.
When it was first announced, there were some who objected to the idea of holding some swimming competitions in the well-known river that divides Paris. Although it has been against the law to swim in the Seine for a century, the organizers devised a strategy to clean up the river so that the greatest athletes in the world may utilize it during Paris 2024 in an effort to highlight the host city.
Prior to the Games, an estimated $1.5 billion (1.4 billion euros) had been spent attempting to clean up the river, and Paris officials have made a huge show of showcasing the river’s readiness.
In an effort to demonstrate her trust in the river’s quality of water, Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo swam in it earlier this month. She also pledged to install a swimming facility there following the Games. The minister of sports in France has also dipped into the Seine.
According to a statement from Paris 2024, one of the major infrastructure projects intended to help combat pollution is a new rainwater storage basin known as the Austerlitz basin, which can contain 20 Olympic swimming pools’ worth of water.
The mayor of Paris reports that after stormy weather on June 17 and 18, the basin filled to 80% capacity, thereby stopping the discharge of 40,000 cubic meters (40 million liters) of wastewater and rainwater into the Seine.
Yet, changes in water quality can occur quickly. According to official data, isolated rainstorm episodes can swiftly cause E. Coli levels to jump again. For example, on June 30, after the previous day’s rain, E. Coli levels at Alexandra III Bridge, the site of the race, climbed to almost 2000 CFU/100mL.
That is double what the World Triathlon Association considers “good” water quality.
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E. Coli levels were beyond permissible limits for a significant portion of the month preceding the games, posing a substantial health risk to players. According to World Triathlon competition rules, if E. Coli levels are more than 1000 CFU/100 mL, the swimming leg of the triathlon must be canceled, unless the medical committee of the organization determines that the race can proceed.
The individual triathlon races will consist of a 1.5-kilometer swim, a 40-kilometer cycle ride that passes by the Champs-Élysées and Le Grand Palais, and a 10-kilometer run through the center of the city.
Four competitors, two men and two women, will compete in a mixed team relay. The first event will be a 300-meter swim for each team member, followed by a 5.8-kilometer bike ride and 1.8-kilometer run.
Olympic officials have confirmed that the women’s triathlon will still take place on Wednesday, ahead of the men’s competition.
This Friday, August 2, remains the original contingency date in case the water levels don’t improve by Wednesday.
