PARIS — Concerns over the water quality of Paris’ Seine River have continued into the 2024 Olympics, with a pre-race triathlon event there canceled Sunday.
Organizers said they nixed the swimming leg of the triathlon familiarization scheduled for Sunday morning after a meeting about water quality among authorities tasked with carrying out water quality tests. That included representatives of World Triathlon, as well as city and regional authorities.
Swimming in the Seine has been banned for over a century in big part due to poor water quality. Organizers have invested $1.5 billion to prepare the Seine for these Games, and the government has said the river would be clean enough to hold events, including the swimming portion of the triathlon and the marathon swimming event.
Daily water quality tests in early June indicated unsafe levels of E. coli bacteria, followed by recent improvements. Parisian Mayor Anne Hidalgo took a famous dip in the river less than two weeks before Olympic events were set to start, fulfilling a promise to show that the long-polluted waterway was clean enough to host swimming competitions.
Heavy rain during the opening ceremony revived concerns over whether the long-polluted waterway will be clean enough to host swimming competitions, since water quality is deeply linked with the weather in the French capital.
Since 2015, organizers have invested heavily to prepare the Seine for the Olympics and to ensure Parisians have a cleaner river after the Games. The plan included constructing a giant underground water storage basin in central Paris, renovating sewer infrastructure and upgrading wastewater treatment plants.
Triathleletes have expressed hope that the waters would be clean enough for them to swim in.
“Hopefully we get to swim, bike and run because I don’t swim this much to just run and bike,” Spanish triathlete Alberto Gonzalez said.
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AP Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games
The cancellation of the pre-race triathlon event in the Seine River for the upcoming Olympics has sparked controversy and concern among athletes and spectators alike. The decision to cancel the event was made after water quality tests revealed dangerously high levels of pollution in the river, raising concerns about the health and safety of the participants.
The Seine River, which flows through Paris and is a popular spot for recreational activities, has long been plagued by pollution issues. Despite efforts to clean up the river in recent years, including the installation of floating gardens and the implementation of stricter regulations on waste disposal, water quality in the Seine remains a major concern.
The decision to cancel the pre-race triathlon event was not taken lightly, as it represents a significant setback for both athletes and organizers. Triathletes who have been training for months or even years to compete in the Olympics will now have to adjust their schedules and find alternative ways to prepare for the main event. Organizers, on the other hand, will have to scramble to find a new location for the pre-race event and address the concerns raised by athletes and spectators.
The cancellation of the event also raises questions about the long-term viability of hosting Olympic events in cities with serious pollution problems. While Paris has made significant strides in improving its environmental record in recent years, the incident with the Seine River serves as a reminder that more work needs to be done to ensure the health and safety of athletes and spectators.
In response to the cancellation, officials have vowed to redouble their efforts to clean up the Seine River and ensure that it meets international standards for water quality. They have also promised to work closely with athletes and organizers to find a suitable alternative location for the pre-race triathlon event.
While the cancellation of the pre-race triathlon event is undoubtedly disappointing for all involved, it also serves as a wake-up call about the importance of protecting our natural resources and ensuring that they are safe for use by athletes and spectators. Hopefully, this incident will spur further action to address pollution issues in the Seine River and other bodies of water around the world, so that future Olympic events can proceed without fear of contamination.
