The Paralympic triathlon events have been postponed due to poor water quality in the Seine River, disrupting Paris’ summertime games once more.
World Triathlon issued a statement just hours before the beginning of the events last Sunday, stating that the most recent tests had found a “decrease in water quality” in the Seine as a result of “rain episodes over the last two days.”
It was also stated in the statement that: “As a result, the water quality at the competition venue on Sunday 1 September is not suitable for swimming and above the threshold established by World Triathlon.”
The Paralympic triathlon medal races have been rescheduled for Monday, depending upon the findings of more water testing. World Triathlon declared that they give more importance to the health of each athlete.
Postponement of games
The Seine’s poor quality of water also overshadowed the 2024 Olympic triathlon competitions held in Paris a few weeks earlier. The water was declared dangerous for athletes to swim in, therefore training sessions prior to the contests were cancelled, and the men’s race was postponed by one day.
Although it has been forbidden to swim in the Seine for a century, local organizers in Paris came up with a strategy to clean the river before the Olympics and Paralympics in order to highlight the host city.
Prior to the 2024 Paris Games, the river clean-up cost about $1.5 billion (1.4 billion euros), and Paris officials made a big show of showing how suitable it was to be used for the competitions. In order to demonstrate her trust in the cleanliness of the water, Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo even went swimming in the river before the Olympics and made the commitment to build a swimming pool there thereafter.
Source: CNN