Heavy rain in Paris not only wreaked havoc on schedules and travel, it even turned the women’s triathlon cycling event on Wednesday into a demolition derby.
The combination of intense heat and near-constant rain caused riders to lose control and crash to the ground, some requiring medical treatment.
Guam’s Manami Iijima, Brazil’s Vittoria Lopes, Germany’s Lisa Tertsch and Belgium’s Jorien Vermeilen were all slammed hard to the ground.
This is what happens when you swim 2.4 miles in open water, sprint to your bike, and then ride 3 miles. A tough day at the office for Aimi Iijima of Guam pic.twitter.com/GdfpdzUmwm
— Sickos Committee (@SickosCommittee) July 31, 2024
Vittoria Lopes continues her cycling career, taking advantage of her experience in triathlon and estaba. Fazio Grande Prova, Brasileira. Good pena. Many people have a problem with cycling. pic.twitter.com/Tg702WtW1T
— Gustavo Garcia (@garciaggust) July 31, 2024
“I have no words for the last two hours we’ve been through.” Said Sophie Lin, Australian triathlete. “It was every type of bad weather you could imagine: strong currents, rain, heat, humidity and crowds.”
Colombian athlete Maria Carolina Velázquez Soto falls during the women’s individual triathlon during the fifth day of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at the Pont Alexandre III in Paris, France on July 31, 2024. (Lars Baron/Getty Images)
At least one rider dropped out of the race, unwilling to deal with the dangerous conditions, including Lotte Miller of Norway, who gave up on a chance to win after multiple crashes.
Organizers spent $1.4 billion to clean up the Seine in preparation for the Olympic Games. But the rains that fell in Paris in July predicted the worst and caused the race to be postponed. Fearing that a further postponement would have an adverse effect, the decision was made to go ahead with the race. But the Seine wasn’t the only river affected by the rains during the triathlon.
“It was like one of those really weird video games I played,” said Sophie Lin of Australia. “I think I got a lot dirtier on the bike.” [than in the water]To be honest, the water coming up from the road made me quite tired. I tried to stay at the front of the pack to avoid crashing.”
