Men’s Olympic triathlon postponed over water quality concerns as 'major' storm rolls in
The wider Paris region was put on a severe storm alert on Tuesday with heavy rain, strong thunderstorms, hail and lightning forecast, as ITV News sport editor Steve Scott reports
The men’s Olympic triathlon planned for Tuesday has been postponed over concerns about water quality in Paris’ Seine River, where the swimming portion of the race was supposed to take place.
Organisers said they will try to hold the men’s triathlon Wednesday instead.
The women’s competition is scheduled on Wednesday, but both are subject to water tests. Friday is also planned as a backup date.
The announcement comes as France's meteorological service put Paris and its surrounding suburbs on a major storm alert. Strong thunderstorms, heavy rain, hail and lightning are likely from 6:00 pm (1600 GMT) over the French capital, on Tuesday afternoon with the heavy rain expected to last until about midnight.
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Paris experienced a downpour during the Olympic opening ceremony Friday, with rain continuing into Saturday.
Heavy rains generally cause levels of E. coli and other bacteria in the Seine to rise.
The decision to postpone the men’s triathlon followed a meeting early Tuesday morning that included the sport’s governing body, World Triathlon, its medical team and city officials.
“Despite the improvement on the water quality levels in the last hours, the readings at some points of the swim course are still above the acceptable limits,” organisers said in a statement announcing the postponement, stressing that their “priority is the health of the athletes.”
Wednesday’s high temperature is forecast to be 35C, and the event may be finishing at the hottest part of the day. The women’s race is set to go forward at 8am Wednesday as originally planned.
Organisers and city officials had expressed confidence that bacteria levels would improve as skies cleared and temperatures warmed in the days that followed, but that apparently wasn’t sufficient to ensure the athletes’ safety.
Paris made an enormous effort to improve the water quality in the long-polluted Seine so the swimming portion of the triathlon and the marathon swimming event in August could be held in the famed river that runs through the city center.
But bacteria levels have remained in flux.
High levels of E. coli in water can indicate contamination from sewage. Most strains are harmless and some live in the intestines of healthy people and animals.
But others can be dangerous. Even a mouthful of contaminated water can lead to diarrhea, and the germ can cause illnesses such as infections in the urinary tract or in the intestines.
Efforts to make the river suitable for swimming cost 1.4 billion euros.
They include the construction of a giant basin to capture excess rainwater and keep wastewater from flowing into the river, renovating sewer infrastructure and upgrading wastewater treatment plants.
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