Topline
The men’s triathlon event at the Paris Olympic Games—which was scheduled to take place on Tuesday—has been postponed by a day after the water quality in the river Seine did not meet the required standards, adding to months-long concerns about holding Olympic events in the polluted river.
Concerns about the water quality in the polluted Seine River has prompted authorities to postpone … [+]
Key Facts
World Triathlon said the men’s event is now scheduled for Wednesday at 10:45 a.m. local time— just after the women’s event.
But Wednesday’s schedule is also subject to “forthcoming water tests complying with the established World Triathlon thresholds for swimming,” the statement added.
The sport’s governing body said the tests carried out in the Seine early on Tuesday “revealed water quality levels that did not provide sufficient guarantees to allow the event to be held” and blamed the issue on last week’s rains—which impacted the opening ceremony.
World Triathlon said its contingency plan to hold the event on Friday is a backup.
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What To Watch For
Stormy weather and rain is forecast in Paris on Tuesday night, Wednesday afternoon and parts of Thursday, according to the Associated Press, citing French national weather service Meteo-France. That could further disrupt the triathlon, which is made up of three disciplines—swimming, running and cycling. According to Le Monde, if the worst case scenario comes to pass, organizers may cancel the swimming portion and transform the race into a duathlon instead with only running and cycling.
News Peg
World Triathlon’s tests measure levels of fecal bacteria like E. coli and Enterococci in the river water. The governing body’s rules state that for inland water bodies like the Seine, E. coli levels cannot exceed 900 colony-forming units per 100 milliliters, while Enterococci levels cannot be higher than 330 colony-forming units per 100 milliliters.
Key Background
The Seine’s water quality has been under scrutiny for in the months before the Olympics. Organizers insist it is safe enough to host swimming events and Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo took a highly publicized dip in the river earlier this month to make this point. But a downpour on Friday and Saturday caused bacteria levels in the river to rise once again, prompting triathlon practice events to be cancelled Monday.
Big Number
$1.52 billion (€1.4 billion). That’s how much authorities in Paris have spent in the last decade to clean up the river and make it fit for Olympic events.
Further Reading
Paris Olympics: Men’s triathlon postponed due to Seine pollution (Le Monde)
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