KUALA LUMPUR – Unsafe pollution levels in the River Seine have caused the postponement of the men’s triathlon at the Paris Olympics, originally scheduled for today.
World Triathlon said that, despite recent improvements, water quality readings remained above acceptable limits, forcing a reschedule to tomorrow, immediately following the women’s event at 8am local time.
This decision comes as a significant setback for the organisers of the Paris Games, who had repeatedly assured that the Seine would be safer for swimming.
The spike in pollution levels was attributed to heavy rains on Friday and Saturday, which dirtied the river.
A joint statement from Paris 2024 and World Triathlon highlighted that last-minute water quality tests failed to provide sufficient guarantees for the event’s safety.
“The tests carried out in the Seine today revealed water quality levels that did not provide sufficient guarantees to allow the event to be held,” organisers stated.
There is still uncertainty about Wednesday’s events due to the forecast of more storms hitting Paris.
Should pollution levels remain high tomorrow morning, both the men’s and women’s races may be postponed to Friday, the contingency day reserved for these events.
If the water quality does not improve by Friday, the swim leg will be scrapped, and athletes will compete in a duathlon instead.
It was previously reported that Paris authorities had heavily invested in making the Seine swimmable as a key legacy of the Games, spending €1.4 billion (RM7 billion) on wastewater infrastructure to contain sewage and minimise spillage into the waterway.
Local media reported that the postponement had left athletes frustrated. – July 30, 2024