Paralympic Triathlon Events Postponed Due to Seine River Water Quality Concerns

Sports John Brightwater September 2, 2024

Paralympic Triathlon Events Postponed Due to Seine River Water Quality Concerns

In Paris, the upcoming Paralympic triathlon events, originally planned for Sunday, have been postponed due to water quality concerns in the Seine River, as announced by event organizers. The postponement comes in light of recent heavy rainfall that has resulted in elevated bacteria levels, including E. coli, in the river, thus raising significant health concerns for participants.

The 11 scheduled para triathlon events are now tentatively set to take place on Monday, contingent upon favorable outcomes from additional water quality testing. A joint statement released by the Paris 2024 organizing committee and World Triathlon indicated that preparations would continue carefully to ensure participant safety.

The city experienced substantial rainstorms on Friday and Saturday, leading to wastewater and storm runoff entering the Seine, which prompted the necessary precautionary measures from the Paris Deputy Mayor, Pierre Rabadan. “It rained heavily on both Friday and Saturday. Thus, as a precautionary principle, the international federation and the organizing committee opted to delay all events for one day,” Rabadan explained to reporters.

This delay marks the second alteration for the para triathlon events, which initially were slated to be conducted over two days but were rescheduled to Sunday due to previous weather forecasts of precipitation.

The continued disruptions pose challenges to the city’s commitment to improving river water quality in hopes of enabling public swimming, which is among the foremost promises made in preparation for the upcoming Olympic and Paralympic Games. Notably, the men’s individual triathlon during the Olympics was also affected by high E. coli levels, causing subsequent cancellations of test swims.

While Deputy Mayor Rabadan expressed a cautious optimism regarding the prospects for the trathlons proceeding on Monday, he emphasized the importance of scientific results over personal sentiments. “I cannot disclose my exact level of confidence as it is inconsequential; what truly matters are the scientific results we will receive tomorrow. The trends, however, are promising for hosting the competition on Monday morning,” Rabadan remarked.

Furthermore, Lazreg Benel-Hadj, Vice President of the French Swimming Federation, provided assurance regarding health implications following Olympic swim events in the Seine, stating that while there were instances of illness among the 53 athletes, none was definitively linked to the water quality.

Rabadan concluded with a positive outlook, asserting, “We shall indeed continue to host athletic events in the river beyond the Paralympics. Numerous factors support this decision, particularly the satisfaction of the athletes and the anticipated improvement in water quality. Our commitment to this initiative represents a significant legacy for the games.”