Seine pollution postpones men’s triathlon in Paris Olympics

The men’s triathlon event at the Paris Olympic Games has been postponed from Tuesday to Wednesday due to highly polluted waters in the River Seine, organizers announced just three hours before the scheduled start.

This triathlon is set to be the first Olympic event to take place in the Seine, preceding the open water swimming events planned for the second week of the Games.

The men’s triathlon at the Paris Olympics has been postponed because of concerns over water quality in the River Seine 🏊 pic.twitter.com/9L91OJ2M35

— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) July 30, 2024

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Heavy rains over the French capital on Friday and Saturday deteriorated the water quality, with recent tests indicating higher-than-acceptable levels of certain bacteria in parts of the river. As a precaution, two training sessions in the Seine, scheduled for Sunday and Monday, were already canceled.

Organizers have rescheduled the triathlon event for Wednesday morning, contingent on upcoming water quality tests meeting the required standards. If the water quality remains below the acceptable threshold, the event may be further postponed to Friday. The organizers and the International Triathlon Federation emphasize that the health of the athletes is their top priority.