July 29, (THEWILL) – Olympic organisers have cancelled triathlon training in the River Seine for a second day due to pollution caused by recent heavy rainfall in Paris. The cancellation affects the swimming training session planned for Monday, following a similar cancellation on Sunday.
The men’s individual triathlon is scheduled for Tuesday, with the women’s event on Wednesday. Despite the setbacks, organisers remain hopeful that water quality will improve in time for the competitions. They cite the weather forecast for the next 48 hours as a reason for optimism.
Paris has invested 1.4 billion euros over the past decade to clean up the Seine. However, heavy rain can overwhelm the city’s sewage system, leading to untreated effluent entering the river. This has resulted in E.coli levels sometimes reaching 10 times the authorised limits.
Contingency plans are in place if water quality does not improve. Organisers can delay outdoor swimming events by several days or, as a last resort, cancel the swimming portion of the triathlon. They may also move the marathon swimming event to Vaires-sur-Marne, east of Paris.
The Seine’s water quality has been a concern leading up to the 2024 Olympics. Earlier, Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo and Paris 2024 chief organiser Tony Estanguet swam in the river to demonstrate its readiness for the Games. However, the recent pollution issues have raised fresh doubts about the Seine’s suitability for Olympic events.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
