PARIS — Olympic organizers canceled triathlon training for the swimming leg for the second day in a row Monday because of Seine river pollution levels, yet said they were ‘confident’ medal events would be held this week.
Paris 2024 and World Triathlon said in a joint statement that ‘the priority is the health of the athletes.’ They said heavy rainfall in Paris on July 26 and 27 was affecting the pollution in the waterway.
Heavy downpours have exacerbated the Seine’s E.coli bacteria levels. France has spent more than $1.5 billion trying to make sure the Seine is ready for the triathlon and marathon swimming events. The men’s individual triathlon is scheduled to start Tuesday at 8:00 a.m. local time, with the women’s individual event to be held on Wednesday.
E.coli bacteria can be linked to rain. Paris had a very wet spring. The Seine consistently failed water-quality tests until earlier in July. One option for organizers is to delay outdoor swimming events by a day. As a last resort, they will cancel the swimming leg. Marathon swimming could be moved to a river east of Paris.
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On Monday, a variety of boats and watercraft of all shapes and sizes could be seen from the Pont Alexandre III deck arch bridge that spans the Seine and allows for views of where the Olympic outdoor swimming events will take place. Several of them were filled with people holding long rods with chemistry-beaker-style cups attached to them that they were plunging into the river. Large inflatable dinghies, known as RIBs, moved around orange-and-red race buoys emblazoned with the Paris 2024 logo. At least one jet ski zipped forth and back.
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