Olympic triathletes will swim in Paris’ Seine River after days of concerns about water quality

After days of delays and uncertainty over water quality in the Seine River, the women’s and men’s Olympic triathlon races will go forward on Wednesday with a swim in the famed Paris waterway.

The decision to go ahead with the Seine swim for the triathlon competitions is a big win for the city, Olympics organisers and the athletes.

Officials undertook an ambitious plan, including 1.4 billion euros in infrastructure improvements, to clean up the long-polluted Seine and have been steadfast in their insistence that the swimming portion of the triathlon and the marathon swimming events next week could safely be held in the river.

The organisers said early Wednesday the latest tests of the water showed compliance with quality standards.

Elevated levels of bacteria in the river pushed the men’s race originally planned for Tuesday to Wednesday, when the women’s competition had been scheduled.

Test events meant to allow the athletes to familiarize themselves with the course had already been canceled for the same reason on Sunday and Monday.

The water quality in the Seine directly affected by rainfall that can lead to wastewater runoff flowing into the river.

Heavy rains fell during Friday’s Olympic opening ceremony, and rain continued for most of the day Saturday.

Aurélie Merle, the Paris 2024 director of sports, told reporters on Tuesday that water samples are taken 21 and a half hours before decisions are made about the swim.

Subscribe free to our weekly newsletter for exclusive and original coverage from ITV News. Direct to your inbox every Friday morning

That leaves uncertainty about their accuracy the day of the race.

Ms Merle said Tuesday that testing results showed “we’re very close to the threshold of triathlon.”

She noted that one of four test sites along the triathlon course was below the threshold for E. coli. Two other sites were just above the limit and one was more elevated, she said, citing a range of 980 to 1,553.

“We know the sun and the heat have a very strong impact on the quality of the water,” she said, hoping that a heat wave that hit most of France on Tuesday would help improve water quality enough for the swims to go ahead.

Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know...