PARIS (AP) — The swimming portion of an Olympic triathlon training session was canceled for a second consecutive day Monday over concerns about water quality in the Seine River.
Organizers overseeing the Paris Games are optimistic that triathletes will be able to swim in the city’s famous waterways when competition begins on Tuesday.
The World Triathlon Association, which governs the sport, its medical team and city officials are hoping that sunny weather and warmer temperatures will lower the bacteria levels needed to hold the swimming portion of the race, which also includes cycling and running.
The World Triathlon Federation decided to cancel swimming practice early on Monday after a meeting on the quality of the Seine’s water, which is closely linked to the weather. Heavy rain hit the opening ceremony on Friday and continued on Saturday, forcing the postponement of tennis matches and some skateboarding events.
Representatives of Paris 2024 and the International Triathlon Federation said tests on the Seine on Sunday showed water levels before the training session “were not sufficient to guarantee the holding of the event”, and they blamed recent rains.
France’s Sports Minister Amélie Oudea Castellas told French news channel CNEWS on Monday that authorities were “totally calm about the matter.” Plans put in place to control bacteria levels in the river are effective, but the weather is out of their control, she said.
Recent rains have added to concerns about water quality, but she said she believes the situation will improve.
“I’m confident I’ll be able to take part in the men’s triathlon tomorrow,” she said.
Organizers have said an alternative would be to postpone the event and, if bacteria levels continue to rise, cancel the swimming portion of the race and have athletes compete in a duathlon.
Swimming in the Seine has been banned for more than a century, mainly due to its poor water quality, and organizers have spent 1.4 billion euros ($1.5 billion) to improve the river ahead of the Olympics.
In addition to the men’s triathlon swim on Tuesday, the women’s triathlon on Wednesday and the mixed triathlon relay on Monday, the Seine will also be used for the marathon swimming events on August 8th and 9th.
Daily water quality tests in early June showed dangerously high levels of E. coli, but have recently shown signs of improvement. Measures taken to improve water quality include the construction of a huge reservoir to capture excess stormwater and prevent wastewater from entering the river, upgrading the sewer infrastructure, and upgrading the wastewater treatment plant.
Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo took a public swim in the river about two weeks before the Olympic games began, trying to allay concerns about whether the long-polluted waterway would be clean enough to host the swimming events.
