Paris Olympics organizers have canceled the triathlon swimming training session for the second consecutive day on Monday, just 24 hours before the men's race, due to heavy rain impacting water quality levels in the Seine. Fifty-five triathletes are set to start at 8 am (10 am UAE Time) on Tuesday from a floating pontoon near the Pont Alexandre III and plunge into the Seine, marking the first Olympic competition in the river since 1900. The women's individual race is planned for Wednesday at the same time. Organizers have reserved August 2 as a backup day for the individual races and August 6 for the mixed relay, in case water quality does not improve in time.
"They still appear quite optimistic about the men's race tomorrow and the women's on Wednesday," commented Dan Hugo, coach of Team Bermuda and husband of Tokyo gold medalist Flora Duffy. "But if necessary, one or both events could be moved to Friday." Paris 2024 has already adjusted some schedules, including postponing men's skateboarding from Saturday to Monday due to rain. A swimmable Seine is a crucial legacy that Games organizers aim to leave for Paris residents. France has invested approximately $1.4 billion in new wastewater infrastructure to reduce sewage flow into the river, and city authorities plan to open three public swimming sites by June next year. Sunday's training session was also canceled after tests on Saturday revealed that water quality did not meet the required standards. The running and bike training sessions remain unaffected.
Given the weather forecast for the next 36 hours, Paris 2024 and World Triathlon are confident that water quality will improve before the start of the triathlon competitions on July 30, according to a statement released on Monday.
