PARIS– After days of delays and uncertainty about water quality on the River Seine, the women’s and men’s Olympic triathlon races will take place on Wednesday with a swim in Paris’ famous canal.
The decision to move forward with Sena swimming for triathlon competitions is a huge victory for the city, Olympic organizers and the athletes. Authorities have undertaken an ambitious plan, including 1.4 billion euros ($1.5 billion) in infrastructure improvements, to clean up the long-polluted Seine, and have been steadfast in their insistence that swimming portion of the triathlon and next week’s marathon swimming races can be carried out safely. held on the river.
Organizers said on Wednesday that the latest tests of the water showed compliance with quality standards.
High levels of bacteria in the river postponed the men’s race originally planned for Tuesday for wednesday, when the women’s competition was scheduled. Test events designed to allow athletes to familiarize themselves with the course It had already been canceled for the same reason. on Sunday and Monday.
O water quality in the Seine directly affected by rains that can lead to wastewater flowing into the river. Heavy rains fell during Friday Olympic opening ceremonyand the rain continued for most of the day on Saturday.
Every day since Sunday, even when organizers announced cancellations or postponements, they continued to express confidence that the dips in the Seine would go ahead as planned the next day. For several days they did not publicly release data on the levels of E. coli and other bacteria that contributed to their decisions.
High levels of E. coli in water may indicate sewage contamination. Most strains are harmless and some live in the intestines of healthy people and animals. But others can be dangerous. Even a sip of contaminated water can cause diarrhea, and the germ can cause illnesses such as urinary tract or intestinal infections.
Daily water quality tests measure levels of the fecal bacteria E. coli. Triathlon World Cup water safety guidelines and a 2006 European Union directive provide a range of E. coli levels from “excellent” to “sufficient.” Anything beyond 900 colony-forming units per 100 milliliters is not considered safe or “sufficient.” But experts stressed that these numbers are simply guidelines used to assess risk.
Additionally, Paris 2024 sports director Aurélie Merle told reporters on Tuesday that water samples are taken 21 and a half hours before decisions about swimming are made. This leaves uncertainty about its accuracy on race day.
Merle said Tuesday that test results showed “we are very close to the triathlon threshold.” She noted that one of the four testing sites along the triathlon course was below the limit for E. coli. Two other locations were just above the limit and one was higher, she said, citing a range of 980 to 1,553.
“We know that sun and heat have a very strong impact on water quality,” she said, hoping that a heat wave that hit most of France on Tuesday would help improve water quality enough for swimming to proceed.
Organizers said the marathon swimming events, scheduled for August 8 and 9, could be moved, if necessary, to the Vaires-sur-Marne Nautical Stadium in the greater Paris region, which already hosts rowing and canoeing competitions. and can accommodate up to 15,000 spectators.
Efforts to make the river suitable for swimming included the construction of a giant basin capture excess rainwater and prevent wastewater from flowing into the river by renewing sewage infrastructure and modernizing wastewater treatment plants.
Mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo very publicly took a dive in Rio two weeks ago, together with the head of Paris 2024, Tony Estanguet; Marc Guillaume, the Paris region’s top government official; and swimmers from local swim clubs. Data released last week shows that E. coli levels in Bras Marie were at 985 units per 100 milliliters that day, slightly above the established limit.
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