Triathlon swimming training canceled over poor Seine water quality

Olympic organizers have canceled triathlon training in the Seine for a second day, 24 hours before the men's race, over water quality concerns.

Recent heavy rain increased both pollution levels and the speed of the current, resulting in water quality levels that "did not provide sufficient guarantees to allow the event to be held," according to Paris 2024 organizers and World Triathlon, the sport's international federation. 

The officials however said they were "confident" the event would go ahead as a day of warm sunshine on Monday would lower water and bacteria levels. 

"The required flow of the river of one cubic meter per second has been met and we don't have an issue," Paris 2024 Organizing Committee CEO Etienne Thobois told a news conference. 

Trickle-down effect

The Seine's water quality is dependent on the amount of rain that falls in and around Paris. Heavy downpours seen on Friday during the Opening Ceremony overwhelmed the city's sewage system, leading to untreated effluent entering the water.

Until the start of July, the Seine had been consistently failing water tests which showed unsafe levels of E. coli bacteria, an indicator of fecal matter. 

While swimming in the Seine has been banned for over a century mainly due to the poor water quality, organizers have invested $1.5 billion over the last decade to prepare the river for the Olympics. Such measures include the construction of a giant basin to prevent wastewater from flowing into the river and renovating sewer infrastructure. 

Contingency plans

A final call on whether Tuesday's triathlon race will go ahead will be made at 4 a.m. local time, four hours before the men's event is scheduled. 

Organizers have set aside August 2 as a backup day for the individual races and August 6 for the mixed relay. If elevated bacteria levels persist however, the swimming portion of the race will be abandoned and athletes will compete in a duathlon. Also as a last resort, the marathon swimming event would be moved to Vaires-sur-Marne, on the Marne river east of Paris. 

Officials have already had to move some events due to the rain, including the men's skateboarding and tennis. 

The triathlon is the first Olympic event due to be held in the Seine, before marathon swimming in the second week of the Games. 

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