Due to heavy rain and concerns about water pollution in the River Seine, Olympic organisers have cancelled the swimming portion of the triathlon training scheduled for Saturday. As a result, only the running and cycling elements of the triathlon mixed relay training will proceed, according to Paris 2024 organisers.
The decision to cancel training was made in light of “the heavy rain over the last two nights, which have been particularly intense upstream of Paris, and the expected drop in water quality as a result.”
Despite significant investments by French authorities to clean up the Seine over the past decade, including new water treatment and storage facilities, heavy rain still poses challenges by overwhelming the city’s drainage and sewage systems.
The issue of water cleanliness has been a prominent topic at the Paris Games, with pollution leading to a 24-hour postponement of the men’s triathlon earlier in the week. Finally, after water quality assessments, both the men’s and women’s triathlon events were able to proceed on Wednesday.
The weather conditions during the Paris Games have been unpredictable, ranging from heatwaves to heavy rain, as seen during the opening ceremony.
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