Polluted Seine cause for Paris Olympics swimming tests to be cancelled

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
6 Aug 2023 11:35

The women's race was rescheduled from Saturday to Sunday on the assumption that the water quality would improve.

The Seine in Paris which hosts Olympic events will close due to high levels of pollution (AFP)

After completing tests on the Seine River's water, the International Swimming Federation said on Sunday that the pre-Olympics swimming test competition due to be held today at the Seine in Paris has been canceled due to high levels of pollution in the river.

"Water quality in the Seine has remained below acceptable standards for safeguarding swimmers' health," a statement issued by World Aquatics read on Sunday.

"Based on this weekend, it is clear that further work is needed with Paris 2024 and local authorities to ensure robust contingency plans are in place for next year."

Although training on Friday had already been canceled, the women's race was rescheduled from Saturday to Sunday on the assumption that the water quality would improve.

However, heavy rains over the past week have caused sewers to overflow and contaminate the Seine River.

"World Aquatics is disappointed that water quality in the Seine has resulted in the cancellation of the World Aquatics Open Water Swimming World Cup, but the health of our athletes must always be our top priority," said World Aquatics president Husain Al Musallam.

The federation said it "understands that further infrastructure projects will be completed to significantly improve water quality in the Seine in the lead-up to next year’s Olympic Games".

"World Aquatics remains excited at the prospect of city-centre Olympic racing for the world's best open water swimmers next summer," it said.

Paris residents highly anticipated the events as a prelude to the return of swimming in the Seine.

Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo had made a promise that from 2025, three sites where swimming had been prohibited since 1923 would reopen.

In the past, Olympic swimmers have protested water quality in previous host countries.

In 2019, swimmers ahead of the Tokyo Olympics complained that the water in Tokyo Bay was too polluted.

Likewise, in 2016, swimmers protested the water quality in Guanabara Bay during the Rio Olympics.