After a delay in the men’s triathlon event at the 2024 Paris Games, both the men’s and women’s triathlon events began on Wednesday.
The men’s triathlon event was postponed due to the detection of E. coli in the Seine River on Tuesday. The decision to delay the event was made following assurances of the river’s safety for participants.
Aurélie Merle, executive director of sports for Paris 2024, stated that the postponement on Tuesday came after conducting four river tests, three of which indicated unsafe pollution levels. She attributed the poor water quality in the Seine to rain on July 26 and 27.
Despite storms in Paris late Tuesday, the bacteria levels in the Seine dropped to acceptable levels on Wednesday morning.
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French star Cassandre Beaugrand won the gold medal in the women’s triathlon event on Wednesday morning with a total time of one hour, 54 minutes, and 55 seconds, spending 22 minutes and 32 seconds in the water.
The men’s triathlon competition followed the women’s event, and Great Britain’s Alex Yee secured gold with a final time of 1 hour, 43 minutes, and 33 seconds, spending 20 minutes and 37 seconds swimming in the Seine.
Swimming in the Seine has been prohibited for over a century due to pollution from factory wastewater, sewage, and rain runoff. However, the government invested nearly $1.5 billion to prepare the river for the Olympics, including fixing old pipes and limiting untreated wastewater.
The triathlon consists of a 1,500-meter swim, a 40-kilometer cycle, and a 10-kilometer run. The Seine will also host the marathon swimming event next week along with a mixed triathlon event.
IOC spokesperson Anne Descamps expressed satisfaction that the events could proceed on Wednesday and assured that efforts would focus on ensuring the river’s readiness for next week’s events.
