Uncertainty Clouds Seine Triathlon as Water Quality Remains a Concern

The first triathlon event at the Paris Olympics faces uncertainty due to concerns about the Seine River's cleanliness. The men's event is set for July 30th, with athletes scheduled to dive into the Seine for the 1,500-meter swim leg. However, a final decision on whether the swim will proceed will be made just four hours before the race due to ongoing concerns about water quality.

Organizers prioritize the athletes' health and acknowledge that pollution levels have exceeded acceptable limits. Despite this, they remain optimistic that improved weather conditions will reduce pollution and allow the races to proceed as planned.

"We have to wait, and we don't do fiction scenarios," said Étienne Thobois, CEO of Paris 2024. "We're still optimistic that we can hold the competition within the Seine River. We have contingency plans, so we hope that tomorrow morning they'll be able to participate."

Heavy rainfall and contaminated rainwater runoff are the primary culprits for the pollution. French authorities have invested €1.4 billion in clean-up initiatives, including a new rainwater-retention basin.

With the recent hot and sunny weather, organizers are hopeful that bacteria levels will decrease. Testing is ongoing, and an instrument tracking anticipated bacteria levels has shown a downward trend.

"That's why we say that we are optimistic for tomorrow," Thobois stated.

Tyler Mislawchuk and Charles Paquet. Emy Legault will participate in the women's event on Wednesday.

Chris Dornan, a spokesperson for Triathlon Canada, assured that the cancellation of practice sessions has not significantly disrupted the athletes' preparation. "We had planned for this in our preparation with off-site swim training until race day," he said. "We also know World Triathlon also has contingencies in place should we not be able to race tomorrow, so it is business and preparation as normal for us today."

These contingencies include delaying the races until the water improves or, as a last resort, canceling the swim legs altogether.