The highly anticipated Olympic men’s individual triathlon at Paris 2024 has hit a roadblock as tests revealed that the water quality in the River Seine did not meet the required standard, leading to the postponement of the event.
Originally scheduled to kick off at 07:00 BST on Tuesday, the race will now take place on Wednesday at 09:45 following the conclusion of the women’s event. This decision was made after swimming training sessions were canceled on Sunday and Monday due to the poor water quality, which was worsened by recent heavy rainfall.
Despite efforts to improve the water quality levels, World Triathlon stated that some points of the swim course still exceeded acceptable limits, prompting the postponement of the race. The possibility of a duathlon as a last resort or a contingency date on Friday, 2 August, for both races has been mentioned by organizers.
Great Britain’s Alex Yee is a top contender for gold in the men’s race, while his teammate Beth Potter holds the title of reigning women’s world champion. Daily tests are being conducted on the water quality in the River Seine, which is set to host several other events during the Olympics and Paralympics.
The River Seine underwent a 1.4 billion euro regeneration project to make it safe for swimming after a century-old ban. However, recent tests in June showed E. coli levels exceeding sports federations’ acceptable limits, highlighting the challenges faced in ensuring water quality for the events.
Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo’s symbolic swim in the river and ongoing clean-up efforts have aimed to address these concerns, but heavy rainfall over the weekend led to a decline in water quality, prompting the event’s postponement.
Despite the setback, Paris organizers are optimistic that the men’s race will proceed as planned on Wednesday, with contingency plans in place for extreme weather conditions. With thundery showers forecasted for Wednesday morning following hot temperatures, the triathletes will have to navigate both the challenges of the race and the unpredictable weather conditions in their quest for Olympic glory.
