Olympic triathletes swim in Seine after water deemed safe
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Athletes dive into the Seine during the women's individual triathlon at the Paris Games on July 31. Photo: Jeff Pachoud/AFP via Getty Images
Olympic triathlon athletes swam in Paris' River Seine on Wednesday after officials determined the water to be safe following days of delays stemming from pollution concerns, per a statement from the sport's governing body.
Why it matters: The Seine was polluted for decades and underwent a $1.5 billion cleanup before the Olympics so it could be used for triathlon and marathon events.
- However, officials rescheduled the men's individual triathlon race from Tuesday and canceled training there over the weekend due to safety concerns about the water.
Driving the news: E. coli and other potentially harmful bacteria was detected following days of heavy rains in France's capital city, but World Triathlon said in a statement Wednesday morning that tests showed the River Seine was now safe for athletes to swim in.
- The governing body said World Triathlon representatives met with Paris 2024 organizers, health officials and others involved to discuss water quality assessments and it was determined that "the women's and the men's triathlons will go ahead as planned."
- The statement added: "The results of the latest water analyses, received at 3:20 a.m., have been assessed as compliant by World Triathlon allowing for the triathlon competitions to take place."
State of play: The women's triathlon kicked off as scheduled at 8am and the men's rescheduled event took place at 10:45am Wednesday.
- A spokesperson for the Paris 2024 Olympics said in a Wednesday afternoon emailed statement that officials continued "to have confidence in the work carried out by the public authorities to make the Seine swimmable for Games events."
- However, she noted there's "always the potential for extreme and unseasonal weather events, as had occurred in recent days, that required prudence.
- "Recent days have also shown how quickly water quality can recover in warm and sunny conditions, thanks to the infrastructure in place," the spokesperson added.
- "We will continue to carefully monitor water quality results on the course over the coming days. Our priority remains the health and experience of the athletes."
In photos: Olympic triathlon races in the Seine
Go deeper... Paris Olympics: See the viral moments of the 2024 Games so far
Editor's note: This article has been updated with comment from a Paris 2024 spokesperson and to reflect that the events took place, with more photos added to reflect this.
