The men’s Olympic triathlon, originally scheduled for Tuesday morning, has been postponed. This decision comes after water quality tests in the River Seine revealed it remains unsafe for athletes, according to organizers.
The event, set to begin at 8 a.m. Tuesday, has been rescheduled to 10:45 a.m. Wednesday. This timing will place it approximately three hours after the women’s triathlon, which is also scheduled for Wednesday morning, provided it can go ahead as planned.
World Triathlon, the sport’s governing body, emphasized that both triathlons depend on upcoming water tests meeting established safety thresholds. “Our priority is the health of the athletes,” World Triathlon stated. “Tests conducted today showed water quality levels that do not ensure the event’s safety.”
If water quality does not improve by Wednesday, the races will be moved to Friday, August 2.
World Triathlon explained that recent rainfall in Paris on July 26 and 27 has impacted water quality. “Though there have been improvements, some areas of the swim course still exceed acceptable limits,” the organization said.
Concerns about the Seine’s water quality led to the cancellation of a triathlon training swim for the second consecutive day on Monday. Officials had hoped that better weather and higher temperatures would reduce bacteria levels, but conditions remained unsuitable.
French Sports Minister Amélie Oudéa-Castéra assured the public that the measures in place to control bacteria have been effective, though weather remains an unpredictable factor.
Should high bacteria levels persist, the swimming segment of the triathlon will be canceled, and athletes will compete in a duathlon instead.
Swimming in the Seine has been banned for over a century due to poor water quality. However, organizers have invested 1.4 billion euros ($1.5 billion) to improve the river in preparation for the Olympics. Efforts include constructing a large basin to capture rainwater and prevent wastewater from entering the river, as well as renovating sewer infrastructure and upgrading treatment plants.
In a bid to reassure the public, Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo swam in the Seine two weeks before the Games, demonstrating efforts to clean the river for the upcoming events.
