Oh no, not again! 😬 For the second day in a row, triathlon swim training in the Seine River has been canceled due to poor water quality, just 24 hours before the men's race is set to begin.
Recent heavy rains turned the Seine into a swirling mix that increased pollution levels and sped up the current. Organizers from Paris 2024 and World Triathlon announced that the water quality \"did not provide sufficient guarantees to allow the event to be held.\" 🌧️🌊
But don't lose hope yet! Officials are \"confident\" the event will go ahead as a sunny day on Monday is expected to lower water and bacteria levels. ☀️😎 \"The required flow of the river of one cubic meter per second has been met and we don't have an issue,\" said Etienne Thobois, CEO of the Paris 2024 Organizing Committee.
A Rainy Ripple Effect 🌧️➡️🌊
The cleanliness of the Seine depends heavily on how much it rains in and around Paris. The heavy downpours during Friday's Opening Ceremony overwhelmed the city's sewage system, causing untreated waste to spill into the river. Gross! 🤢
Did you know swimming in the Seine has been off-limits for over a century because of pollution? But organizers have been working hard to change that. They've invested a whopping $1.5 billion over the last decade to get the river ready for the Olympics. 💰🚧 Projects include building a giant basin to prevent wastewater from entering the Seine and upgrading sewer infrastructure.
Ready for Plan B? 🅱️
A final decision on whether Tuesday's triathlon race will go ahead will be made bright and early at 4 a.m. local time, just four hours before the men's event. If Mother Nature doesn't cooperate, organizers have backup plans. 🕓⏰
They've set aside August 2 as a backup date for individual races and August 6 for the mixed relay. But if the water stays yucky, the swimming portion will be scrapped, and athletes will compete in a duathlon instead. Maybe it's time to practice that extra run! 🏃♂️🏃♀️
As a last resort, the marathon swimming event could be moved to Vaires-sur-Marne, on the Marne River east of Paris. Fingers crossed it doesn't come to that! 🤞
Officials have already had to move some events due to the rain, including men's skateboarding and tennis. The triathlon is set to be the first Olympic event held in the Seine, paving the way for marathon swimming in the second week of the Games. Let's hope the river gets in shape in time! 🏊♂️🏅
Reference(s):
Triathlon swimming training canceled over poor Seine water quality
cgtn.com
