PARIS (AP) — Concerns about water quality in the Seine River led Paris Olympic organizers to postpone Tuesday’s men’s triathlon. Organizers hope the swimming portion of the race in the long-polluted waterway can go ahead in coming days after costly cleanup efforts.
Organizers said they would try to hold the men’s triathlon on Wednesday instead. The women’s event is also scheduled for the same day, but both events will go ahead if water quality tests show acceptable levels of E. coli and other bacteria in the river. Friday has also been scheduled as a backup day.
But storms and rain are expected between Tuesday night and Thursday, and rain could increase bacteria levels in the Seine, making it difficult to reschedule the event.
Heavy rain fell in Paris during the Olympic opening ceremony on Friday and continued into Saturday. The swimming portion of the training events, which allow triathletes to acclimate to the course, was canceled on both Sunday and Monday due to concerns about water quality.
Paris Olympics triathlon training halted due to poor water quality of the Seinehttps://t.co/aVk2wEp4ZF
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The postponement comes after Olympic organizers and city officials recently expressed confidence that clearer skies and warmer temperatures this week would improve bacteria levels, but that apparently wasn’t enough to keep athletes safe. Temperatures in Paris reached a high of 35 degrees Celsius (95 degrees Fahrenheit) on Tuesday, raising hopes that the heat wave might kill off some of the bacteria.
Paris has spent 1.4 billion euros ($1.5 billion) to improve the quality of the Seine, the famous river that runs through the city center, so that it can host a triathlon and marathon swimming event next week, but bacteria levels remain fluctuating.
The decision to postpone the men’s triathlon was made following a meeting early Tuesday involving the sport’s governing body, the World Triathlon Association, its medical team, the International Olympic Committee and city officials.
“Water levels have improved over the past few hours but remain above acceptable levels at some points along the swimming course,” organisers said, stressing that “the well-being of the athletes remains our top priority”.
Paris Deputy Mayor Pierre Rabadin said the “trend is improving” but “we are not yet below the necessary standards.”
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Holding the two races on the Seine on Wednesday “seems to be the best option for us,” he said, but did not rule out a further postponement “if there are problems tomorrow following the analysis.”
Daily water tests measure levels of a fecal bacteria called E. coli; European rules set a safety limit of 900 colony-forming units per 100 milliliters. Watchdog group Eau de Paris publishes its data every Friday, but only updates it up to the previous Tuesday.
Paris 2024’s sporting director, Aurélie Merle, said on Tuesday morning that one of the four testing sites had a reading below the threshold for E. coli. Two others were slightly above the limit and one was even higher, she said, citing a range of 980 to 1,553.
High levels of E. coli in water may be a sign of sewage contamination. Most strains are harmless and can live in the intestines of healthy people and animals. But some can be dangerous. Drinking even a sip of contaminated water can cause diarrhea, and the bacteria can lead to illnesses such as urinary tract and intestinal infections.
The effort to make the river swimmable has cost 1.4 billion euros ($1.5 billion) and included building huge reservoirs to capture excess stormwater and stop sewage from flowing into the river, upgrading the sewer infrastructure and wastewater treatment plants.
Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo publicly swam in the river two weeks ago, along with Paris 2024 president Tony Estanguet, Paris region government official Marc Guillaume and swimmers from a local swimming club. Data released last week showed that the Bras Marie had E. coli levels of 985 units per 100 millilitres that day, just above the prescribed limit.
The men’s triathlon is scheduled to start at 10:45 a.m. Wednesday, but competition will likely finish during the hottest part of the day, which could cause more of a heat effect. The women’s race is scheduled to start at 8 a.m. as originally scheduled.
Other swimming events scheduled on the Seine include the mixed triathlon relay on August 5th and the women’s and men’s marathon swimming events on August 8th and 9th.
