Paris Paralympics 2024: Triathlon Events Postponed Due To Poor Water Quality Of Seine River

First the Olympics and now the Paralympics! The Paralympic triathlon events, which was originally scheduled for Sunday, has been postponed by a day due to concerns regarding the water quality of Seine river . 

Paris Paralympics 2024: River Seine Water Pollution Mars Triathlon Events

Four hours before competition was to begin, organizers decided to push back the schedule due to high levels of pollution, once again making the river unsafe for athletes.

“The latest tests show a decrease in water quality in the river following the rain episodes over the last two days,” a statement from World Triathlon read. “Paris 2024 and World Triathlon reiterate that their priority is the health of the athletes and with these conditions, the triathlon events cannot take place today,” the statement said.

When the scheduled start time of 7.30am (local time) arrived, fans were crossing the Ponte Alexandre III, unaware the event had been delayed.

Para-athletes, who were raring to swim, expressed their disappointment at the delay in the event. 

Tom Hodgkinson, Great Britian team leader for para triathlon, said, “The postponement is naturally disappointing, however we know it has been made for the right reason,” he said. “We work with the athletes to be best prepared, and that includes their ability to adapt to the circumstances they face.”

The Paralympic triathlon events will now be held on September 2, the organizers confirmed. 

“Following a meeting on water quality held on 1 September at 22:00 pm, attended by representatives of World Triathlon, Paris 2024 and the relevant French authorities involved in monitoring the conditions of the Seine and the weather, World Triathlon and Paris 2024 have confirmed that the Para triathlon competitions scheduled for Monday, 2 September will go ahead as planned,” a statement by the organizers said.

The Olympic triathlon and open-water swimming events also met with hiccups, with several practice sessions being called-off as a result of high pollution levels caused by heavy rainfall.

Also Read: Morteza Mehrzadselakjani: Athlete Who Sleeps On Floor To Become Champion At Paris Paralympics 2024 

The Paris Olympics schedule included 11 days of events and training sessions on the Seine river. However, due to various concerning circumstances, only five of those days received approval to proceed as planned.

Paris had invested 1.4 billion euros ($1.5 billion) to expedite its sewerage and water treatment infrastructure. Despite these efforts, the river continued to be risky for athletes with pollution issues, particularly regarding the presence of enterococci and E.coli bacteria, which raised alarm among organizers and participants.