PARIS — Olympic open-water swimmers trained in the long-polluted River Seine on Wednesday after Paris organizers ruled it was safe to dive.
A two-hour training session was held on a cool, cloudy morning, providing swimmers with the only opportunity to familiarize themselves with the picturesque course that runs through the center of the French capital.
Dozens of swimmers – from 2016 Olympic champion Sharon van Rouwendaal to Ireland’s Daniel Wiffen, who competed in open water for the first time – dove into the Seine the day before the women’s 10km marathon. The men’s race is scheduled for Friday.
Before diving, several swimmers checked the conditions of the famous Alexandre III Bridge, adorned with golden statues and overlooking the starting buoy and the finishing ramp.
“I think if someone says they’re not worried at all, they’re probably lying,” said Austrian swimmer Felix Auboeck. “I’m worried. I just hope and trust the organization that they’ll let us in when it’s safe enough to do so. But, of course, you’re worried because no one wants to get sick or sick.”
On the other hand, Auboeck can see the appeal of swimming in the Seine on the course that has the Eiffel Tower, the gold-domed Invalides and other stunning Paris landmarks as a backdrop.
“It’s super exciting that this is the setting we’re racing in,” he said. “That’s probably the best thing we can do for the sport.”
World Aquatics canceled a test on Tuesday due to concerns about fluctuating bacteria levels in the waterway. Despite enormous efforts to clean the Seine, water quality has been a constant concern during the Games.
But officials have expressed confidence that both races will go ahead without a hitch, especially with a favorable forecast that calls for sunny skies in the afternoon and little chance of rain.
Open water swimmers do most of their training in the controlled conditions of a swimming pool. While concerns about bacteria levels in the Seine may have led some to skip the training session and limit their time on the river to the actual event, it appears that most enjoyed the training session – especially to check out the strong current it has. also raised concerns.
The current was measured at 2-3 mph, a significant challenge when moving upriver on the six-lap course.
“The current will just be another challenge,” Auboeck said. “It’s going to be very, very different from what we’ve seen before. I wish there had been more training runs with a chain like this. That would have been good.
Triathlon races have been held on the river, but the schedule has been altered by daily water quality readings.
Now, it’s time for open waters, which at least have a backup plan in place should the Sena be deemed unsafe. The races would be moved to the Vaires-sur-Marne Nautical Stadium, the location of the rowing and canoeing events.
The mixed triathlon relay race was held on Monday. World Triathlon released data Tuesday showing that levels of fecal bacteria E. coli and enterococci were within acceptable levels for the length of the triathlon relay course during these swims.
Swimming marathons take place in longer stretches of the river and will start and finish at Ponte Alexandre III. Marathon swimmers do six laps of the 1.67-kilometer (1-mile) course, totaling 10 kilometers (6.2 miles).
Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo, who took a highly publicized swim in the Seine in July to calm fears about water quality ahead of the Olympics, expressed confidence in the preparations.
“There has been a clear improvement in the weather over the last few days,” she said. “So I’m very proud and happy and to all those who want to keep saying that it’s impossible to clean up a river, I say: ‘Yes, it’s possible, we can do it.’”
With a few exceptions, swimming in the Seine has been prohibited since 1923 because the water is very toxic.
Paris undertook an ambitious plan, including 1.4 billion euros ($1.5 billion) in infrastructure improvements to ensure some swimming events could be held on the river. This included building a giant basin to capture excess rainwater and prevent wastewater from flowing into the river, renovating sewage infrastructure and modernizing wastewater treatment plants.
Four triathletes – out of more than 100 who competed in the men’s and women’s individual races last week – fell ill in the following days, although it is unclear whether the water was to blame.
Most strains of E. coli and enterococci are harmless, and some live in the intestines of healthy people and animals. But others are dangerous and even a sip of contaminated water can cause urinary tract or intestinal infections.
This story originally appeared on Time.com read the full story
