Olympic Men’s Triathlon Delayed Due to Seine Water Quality Concerns

As the Paris Olympics progress, the Seine River's water quality persists as a significant concern for officials this week.

As the Paris Olympics progress, the Seine River's water quality persists as a significant concern for officials this week. Credit: David Goldman/AP

The Olympic men’s triathlon has been postponed due to unacceptable levels of pollution in the River Seine, detected during early morning tests on Tuesday. The race, for which Team GB’s Alex Yee was a favorite, is now scheduled for Wednesday at 10:45 am local time (9:45 am UK time), immediately following the women’s race at 8 am.

Heavy rain in Paris on Friday night and Saturday morning, which affected the Opening Ceremony, significantly impacted the water quality of the Seine. A series of nighttime tests revealed unacceptable pollution readings on parts of the course, leading to the postponement. The decision was made during an early morning meeting attended by representatives from Paris 2024, World Triathlon, the International Olympic Committee, Météo France, and local authorities.

Water quality readings have improved over the past 48 hours due to sunny weather, and organizers are confident that both races will proceed on Wednesday, despite forecasts of potential thunder showers. Both triathlons remain subject to World Triathlon thresholds for swimming, with further early morning water quality tests planned for Wednesday. A contingency day on August 2 also remains an option.

The postponement is a significant setback for Paris organizers, who had invested €1.4 billion in improving the Paris sewerage system and building new water treatment facilities. Despite these efforts, unusually high rainfall this year has led to elevated pollution levels, which had previously been within acceptable limits last month.

“Paris 2024 and World Triathlon reiterate that their priority is the health of the athletes,” said a statement. “The tests carried out in the Seine today [Tuesday morning] revealed water quality levels that did not provide sufficient guarantees to allow the event to be held. Unfortunately, meteorological events beyond our control, such as the rain which fell over Paris on 26 and 27 July, can alter water quality and compel us to reschedule the event for health reasons. Despite the improvement on the water quality levels in the last hours, the readings at some points of the swim course are still above the acceptable limits.”

The men’s triathlon will now take place on Wednesday, July 31, immediately after the women’s event, which begins at 8 am local time (7 am BST). Water pollution levels will need to pass another 3:30 am test on Wednesday morning. If levels fail to drop or more rain causes another spike, a contingency day has been scheduled by the IOC and World Triathlon for Friday, August 2.

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