- The triathlon swimming practice session was suspended on Sunday and Monday.
- This has led to questions about whether the event will go ahead on Tuesday morning.
- Levels of fecal bacteria known as E. coli are measured daily in the River Seine.
Triathletes, including gold-medalling Briton Alex Yee, will go to bed on Monday night unsure whether their race will take place in the morning.
Continued problems with water quality in the Seine led to the cancellation of the men’s swimming practice session scheduled for Sunday, and the women’s event was also called off early Monday.
Officials will decide whether the famous river, part of a £1bn clean-up project, will be fit for entry at around 3.30am local time, four and a half hours before the planned 8am start.
If bacteria levels remain unsafe, organisers have two options: they can cancel the swim and turn the event into a duathlon or postpone it to a later date. August 2 is already planned. The women’s triathlon will take place on Wednesday.
Swimming in the Seine, which divides the city, has been banned since 1923. In 1990, Jacques Chirac, then mayor of Paris, declared that he would clean it up enough to allow entry, but failed in his mission.
Second swimming training session for Olympic triathlon in Paris cancelled
There are fears that the event will not go ahead due to worrying water quality levels.
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Earlier this month, after a surprise investment, the current mayor, Anne Hidalgo, took the plunge with a group of about 100 officials and swam about 100 meters.
However, heavy rains which disrupted the opening ceremony have affected water quality levels, and the threat of contamination, particularly from E. coli, is a cause for concern.
This type of drop is harmful as it can cause problems with wastewater and water velocity.
Over the weekend, Paris 2024 president Tony Estanguet told a news conference that he was “very confident” the Seine swim would go ahead.
Heavy rains that interrupted the opening ceremony affected water quality levels.
Yee, 26, from Lewisham, won silver in Tokyo and gold in the mixed relay. He is considered a strong contender in France.
Following this morning’s test results, a Paris 2024 spokesperson said: ‘Given the weather forecast for the next 36 hours, Paris 2024 and World Triathlon are confident that water quality will be back below limits before the start of triathlon competitions on 30 July.
‘As observed in July, with summer conditions (more sun, higher temperatures, prolonged absence of rain), the water quality in the Seine has improved significantly.’
