Olympic organizers will not hold open water swimming in Seine
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Many triathletes are voicing their displeasure with the Paris Olympics, claiming that the participants' health was not taken into consideration by the organizers.
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An aerial view of the Eiffel Tower across the Seine river in Paris, France, during the opening ceremony for the 2024 Summer Olympics, Friday, July 26, 2024. (AP)
Olympic referee Alexey Kalinin announced on Sunday that the open water swimming competition for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris would not take place in the Seine River, and that officials are awaiting word on whether the tournament will start later than scheduled.
The triathlon familiarization session was postponed on Saturday by the Paris Olympics organizers because of the river's low water quality.
On Telegram, Kalinin wrote, "We are waiting for a decision on whether the relays with swimming will be held tomorrow, or whether they will be postponed to August 6, when the start will be held anyway in a triathlon or duathlon format. In our opinion, the open water swimming competition will definitely not be held in the Seine”.
August 8 is set aside for the women's 10 km (6.2 mi) competition; the men will swim the distance the next day.
Despite the postponement of the men's race due to poor water quality and the cancellation of training familiarization sessions, the triathlons for both men and women took place in Paris on Wednesday.
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Many triathletes have voiced their displeasure with the Paris Olympics, claiming that the participants' health was not taken into consideration by the organizers. A number of athletes fell ill on Wednesday either during or after the competition.
Immediately after crossing the finish line, triathlete Tyler Mislawchuk, a Canadian, fell ill and threw up.
Triathlete Jolien Vermeylen remarked after the race that she "smelled and saw things that we shouldn't think about too much" and that "the Seine has been dirty for a hundred years, so they can't say that the safety of athletes is a priority."
Prioritizing health and hygiene
This comes after the World Triathlon revealed last week that the men's triathlon competition at the Paris Olympics was postponed due to water pollution in the Seine River.
"Paris 2024 and World Triathlon reiterate that their priority is the health of the athletes. The tests carried out in the Seine today revealed water quality levels that did not provide sufficient guarantees to allow the event to be held," the statement said.
The Seine's water pollution is believed to be caused by the rain that occurred Friday and Saturday, resulting in the cancellation of the Olympic triathletes' swim training sessions to be canceled on Sunday and Monday.
There are reports that hazardous bacteria are infesting the Seine. To ensure that the water was safe for competition, Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo took a swim in the river that passes through the French capital before the games began.
Hidalgo had made a promise last year that from 2025, three sites where swimming had been prohibited since 1923 would reopen.
Last month, French local officials have reported that approximately 50,000 cubic meters of sewage water have been dumped into the Seine River over the past several weeks due to issues with the pumping system in a northwestern suburb of Paris.
At the time, recent tests conducted by water charity Surfrider revealed that levels of E. coli and enterococci bacteria in the Seine exceed the limits set by sports federations and European bathing standards, as reported by France 24.
