The swimming portion of a practice run for the Olympic triathlon was canceled Sunday because of concerns about water quality in the Seine River, but Paris officials said they're confident that triathletes will be able to swim in the famed waterway this week. The men's triathlon is scheduled for Tuesday, the AP reports, while the women are to compete Wednesday. The triathletes were supposed to have a chance to familiarize themselves with the course Sunday, but organizers said they nixed the swimming leg after representatives of World Triathlon, city and regional authorities, and other decision-makers met to discuss water quality tests.
The water quality in the Seine is closely linked to the weather. Heavy rains fell during Friday's Olympics opening ceremony, and showers continued Saturday. With no more rain in the forecast, officials said they expect athletes will have the unique experience of racing in the Seine. "We've seen what were the dynamics of the Seine over the past few weeks, and that's what makes us confident," Paris Deputy Mayor Antoine Guillou said Sunday. After similar rain events in the past, the water quality has returned to safe levels within 24 to 48 hours, he said, per the AP.
If concerns persist at race time, the first backup plan is to postpone the triathlon events by a few days. If the water quality still isn't good enough, the swimming portion of the triathlon will be canceled and the athletes will compete only in the running and biking portions. Swimming in the Seine has been banned for over a century, and Paris spent $1.5 billion to prepare the river ahead of the Olympics. The measures included construction of a giant basin to capture excess rainwater and keep wastewater from the river, renovating sewer infrastructure, and upgrading wastewater treatment plants. The marathon swimming event also is to be held in the river. Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo took a dip in the Seine this month to show that it was clean enough to host swimming competitions.
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