The men’s triathlon at the Paris Olympics, initially scheduled for Tuesday, has been postponed due to high pollution levels in the Seine River, World Triathlon announced in a statement. This unexpected delay poses challenges for the event organizers and uncertainty for the athletes.
The race is now rescheduled for Wednesday at 10:45 am (0845 GMT), immediately following the women’s event, which will start at 8 am the same day. Despite earlier optimism that water quality would improve after heavy rains last Friday and Saturday, the latest readings indicated that pollution levels at some points along the swim course remained above acceptable limits.
“Despite the improvement of water quality levels over the last hours, the readings at some points of the swim course are still above the acceptable limits,” organizers stated early Tuesday. “Paris 2024 and World Triathlon reiterate that their priority is the health of the athletes.”
If bacteria levels remain high on Wednesday morning, both the men’s and women’s races could be postponed to Friday, the designated contingency day. Should water quality still be inadequate by then, the swim leg will be canceled, and the event will transform into a duathlon.
For the mixed triathlon relay scheduled on August 5, the contingency day is set for August 6.
Paris authorities have invested 1.4 billion euros ($1.51 billion) in wastewater infrastructure to minimize sewage spillage and improve the Seine’s water quality, aiming to leave a lasting legacy of making the river swimmable. Earlier this month, Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo even swam in the river to assure the public of its safety.
However, the gamble on the river’s cleanliness was always uncertain, with water quality fluctuating daily and rain exacerbating the concentration of harmful bacteria like E. coli and enterococci. Seth Rider, one of the 55 triathletes in the men’s race, mentioned in a press conference on Saturday that he had taken unconventional measures to prepare for potential bacterial exposure. “We know that there’s going to be some E. coli exposure, so I just try to increase my E. coli threshold by exposing myself to a bit of E. coli in your day-to-day life,” he said.
The Olympic triathlon course, designed for maximum visual impact, features a river swim that begins with athletes diving into the Seine from a pontoon near the Alexandre III bridge. The bike and run segments pass iconic landmarks like the Musée d’Orsay and the Grand Palais, culminating at the starting point. Competitors crossing the finish line on the bridge will be framed by majestic stone columns adorned with gilt-bronze statues of Pegasus, with the golden dome of the 18th-century Invalides monument in the background.
