Dirty Seine forces cancellation of triathlon training

Olympic organisers cancelled part of the triathlon training in the River Seine planned for Saturday, citing heavy rain that likely polluted the waterway making it unsafe to swim in. 

Only the running and cycling segments of the triathlon mixed relay training will proceed, as announced by Paris 2024 organisers in a statement. 

The training session was called off due to “heavy rain over the last two nights, particularly intense upstream of Paris, and the expected decrease in water quality as a result.”

French authorities have invested 1.4 billion euros ($1.5 billion) over the past decade to improve the cleanliness of the Seine, including developing new water treatment and storage facilities in and around Paris. 

However, heavy rainfall continues to overload the city’s underground drainage and sewage system, leading to untreated waste being discharged into the waterway. 

The ongoing issue of water quality has been a major concern at the Paris Games, with pollution causing a 24-hour delay in the men’s triathlon on Tuesday. 

Both the men’s and women’s events eventually took place in the Seine on Wednesday after water quality levels were deemed acceptable. 

The weather during the Paris Games has been unpredictable, shifting from heatwaves to heavy rains, notably during the opening ceremony which was affected by torrential downpours.

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