Men's Olympic triathlon postponed in Paris over Seine water quality concerns

PARIS — Olympics organizers are banking on the sun and scorching temperatures to improve the water quality of the Seine River enough for triathletes to swim in it.

Otherwise, they could be feeling the heat.

Concerns about the Paris river's cleanliness postponed the men’s triathlon on Tuesday, with officials hoping the swimming portion of the race will soon be able to go forward in the long-polluted waterway following an expensive cleanup effort.

Organizers said they will try to hold the men's triathlon Wednesday instead. The women's competition also is scheduled that day, but both will only happen if water tests show acceptable levels of E. coli and other bacteria. Friday is also planned as a backup date.

However, storms or rain are forecast Tuesday night through Thursday, which could complicate rescheduling because rain generally causes bacteria levels in the Seine to rise.

“It’s disappointing that there’s this negative aspect now with the delay," American triathlete Seth Rider said. "But I hope we can have a triathlon and I can accomplish this dream that I’ve had since I was a little kid.”

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

Paris spent 1.4 billion euros ($1.5 billion) to improve the water quality in the Seine so the swimming portion of the triathlon and the marathon swimming event next week could be held in the famed river that runs through the city center. But bacteria levels have remained in flux.

Organizers were asked if they put the aesthetics of the triathlon over the best interests of athletes.

“We’re living in the 21st century where, unfortunately, there are far more meteorological events that happen that are beyond the control of the organizers,” Merle said. "We’ve seen that we go from heavy rain to extreme heat like today in very few days. So it’s actually hard to control how it can affect the quality of a river.”

Paris experienced a downpour during the Olympic opening ceremony Friday, with rain persisting into Saturday. The swimming portion of training events meant to let the triathletes familiarize themselves with the course was canceled on both Sunday and Monday because of concerns over water quality.

Organizers had expressed confidence in recent days that bacteria levels would improve as skies cleared and temperatures warmed this week, but that apparently wasn’t sufficient to ensure the athletes’ safety. The sun’s ultraviolet rays can kill the bacteria and lower levels, and the early part of the week has been hot and sunny.

The sport’s governing body, World Triathlon, its medical team, the IOC and city officials met early Tuesday and decided to postpone.

Rider, the triathlete, was on a 4 a.m. run when the delay was announced. A fellow triathlete also out running waved him down.

“We had a little chat there in the pitch black, at 4 a.m., in the middle of the street, no one around,” Rider said. “I just went back to the room and went back to bed.”

Paris Deputy Mayor Pierre Rabadan said “the trend is improving" but did not rule out further delays "if there is an issue tomorrow after the results of the analysis."

Daily water quality tests measure levels of the fecal bacteria E. coli. World Triathlon's water safety guidelines and a 2006 European Union directive give a range of E. coli levels from “excellent” to “sufficient.” Anything beyond 900 colony-forming units per 100 milliliters is not considered safe or “sufficient.”

But experts stressed that these numbers are simply guidelines used to assess risk. “There’s nothing magic about 900,” said Dr. Nicole Iovine, an infectious diseases specialist at the University of Florida.

One of four test sites was below the threshold for E. coli on Tuesday, said Merle of Paris 2024. Two other sites were just above the limit and one was more elevated, she said, citing a range of 980 to 1,553.

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.

Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo very publicly took a swim in the river two weeks ago, along with Paris 2024 chief Tony Estanguet. Data released last week show that E. coli levels at the Bras Marie were at 985 units per 100 milliliters that day, slightly above the threshold.

The men’s triathlon is now scheduled to start at 10:45 a.m. Wednesday, which may make heat more of a factor with the event finishing at the hottest part of the day. World Triathlon is planning to provide ice and water stations along the course for the athletes. The women’s race is set to go forward at 8 a.m. as originally planned.

If the river isn't safe for swimming after delays, that part of the race would be scrapped and only the cycling and running portions would go forward. That happened last year at the European Championships when the triathlon format was switched because of water quality issues.

“It’s just another situation of the competition,” said World Triathlon president Marisol Casado, pushing back against the idea that a switch would be unfair to triathletes who excel in the water.

Other swimming events planned in the Seine are the triathlon mixed relay on Monday and the women's and men's marathon swimming events on Aug. 8 and Aug. 9. Marathon swimming could be relocated, if needed, to the Vaires-sur-Marne Nautical Stadium in the greater Paris region, which already hosts rowing and canoeing competitions and can accommodate up to 15,000 spectators.

But it's a logistical challenge for triathlon to switch swimming locations given that routes are already set up for cycling and running.

“We are sympathetic," Merle said. “Let’s see how it goes.”

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AP writers Barbara Surk in Nice and Devna Bose in Jackson, Mississippi, contributed.