Paralympic Triathlon Events in Paris Postponed Due to Water Quality Concerns
Paralympic triathlon competitions that were set to occur in the Seine River in Paris on Sunday have been postponed due to concerns regarding the water quality following significant rainfall, as reported by the event organizers. The 11 para triathlon events are now rescheduled for Monday, contingent upon the results of forthcoming water quality testing conducted by the Paris 2024 organizing committee and World Triathlon.
The heavy rainstorms that affected the French capital on Friday and Saturday contributed to an increase in bacteria levels within the river, including concerning levels of E. coli, primarily caused by the influx of wastewater and runoff. Mr. Pierre Rabadan, the Deputy Mayor of Paris, explained in a statement to reporters, “It rained extensively on Friday and again on Saturday. In light of these conditions, the international federation and the organizing committee decided, as a precaution, to delay all events for one day, potentially moving them to tomorrow.
This occurrence marks the second alteration to the scheduling of the para triathlon events, which were initially set to span across two days—Sunday and Monday—before being adjusted solely to Sunday due to anticipated rain.
The postponement poses another challenge to the city’s ongoing efforts to restore the Seine River’s water quality ahead of public swimming activities, a goal that aligns with Paris’ ambitious commitments as it prepares to host the upcoming Olympics and Paralympics during the summer. Earlier, the men’s individual triathlon event scheduled for the Paris Olympics faced delays, with several test swims canceled due to excessive E. coli levels.
Despite the current challenges, Mr. Rabadan indicated a positive outlook for the completion of the Paralympic triathlons on Monday, noting, “I cannot specify my exact level of confidence. Ultimately, the results from scientific testing will determine our course of action tomorrow, but the initial trends suggest a favorable outcome for conducting the competition as planned.”
Furthermore, Mr. Lazreg Benel-Hadj, Vice President of the French Swimming Federation, reassured that while some of the 53 athletes who participated in Olympic swimming events in the Seine experienced illness post-competition, it has been established that none of these cases were linked to the water quality of the Seine itself.
Mr. Rabadan affirmed the commitment to not only progress with athletic events in the river beyond the Paralympics but also to ensure that these events will persist in the future. He concluded, saying, “Yes, we will certainly continue. As previously stated, we will maintain competitions in the river, largely because the athletes are satisfied with the arrangement, and the water quality is expected to support such activities moving forward. This represents a significant legacy of the games.”
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