The Seine Finally Cleans Up Its Act

UPDATE Jul 31, 2024 2:31 AM CDT

After days of delays and uncertainty over water quality in the Seine River, the women's and men's Olympic triathlon races will go forward Wednesday with a swim in the famed Paris waterway, the AP reports. The organizers said early Wednesday the latest tests of the water showed compliance with quality standards, marking a big win for the city, Olympics organizers, and the athletes. The women's event will take place as originally scheduled at 8am local time, with the rescheduled men's event following at 10:45am, Axios reports. If things take another turn, organizers have said the marathon swimming races, scheduled for Aug. 8 and 9 in the Seine, could be relocated, if needed, to the Vaires-sur-Marne Nautical Stadium in the greater Paris region.

Jul 30, 2024 1:00 AM CDT

The men's Olympic triathlon planned for Tuesday has been postponed over concerns about water quality in Paris' Seine River, where the swimming portion of the race was supposed to take place, the AP reports. Organizers said they will try to hold the men's triathlon on Wednesday instead. The women's competition is also scheduled on Wednesday, but both are subject to water tests. A risk of storms in the forecast for Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday evenings could complicate rescheduling the events. Heavy rains generally cause levels of E. coli and other bacteria in the Seine to rise. Paris experienced a downpour during the Olympic opening ceremony Friday, with rain continuing into Saturday.

The swimming portion of training events meant to let the triathletes familiarize themselves with the course was canceled on both Sunday and Monday because of concerns over water quality. The decision to postpone the men's triathlon followed a meeting early Tuesday morning that included the sport's governing body, World Triathlon, its medical team, and city officials. Organizers and city officials had expressed confidence that bacteria levels would improve as skies cleared and temperatures warmed, but that apparently wasn't sufficient to ensure the athletes' safety. Other swimming events planned in the Seine are the triathlon mixed relay on Aug. 5 and the women's and men's marathon swimming events on Aug. 8 and Aug. 9.

(More 2024 Paris Olympics stories.)