Seine River Fails Pollution Tests Again. What’s Plan B for Triathlon and Marathon Swimming at Paris Olympics? – Firstpost

The men’s triathlon at the Paris Olympics was cancelled on Tuesday (July 30) due to pollution levels in the Seine River remaining too high, World Triathlon said in a statement. The men’s race was postponed until Wednesday.

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In a statement, World Triathlon said the men’s triathlon will now take place on Wednesday, July 31 at 10:45 a.m. local time. The women’s triathlon will also take place on the same day at 8 a.m. However, they will only be able to take place after meeting water testing compliance requirements.

After showing positive signs and results the previous week, with the river being suitable for swimming six days a week between July 17 and 23, the waterway was polluted again after heavy rains on Friday and Saturday led to discharges of raw sewage.

In a joint statement on Monday, Paris 2024 organizers and World Triathlon said they remained “confident” that pollution would drop before the start of the competition, given the sunny weather that is helping to keep bacteria levels low. Paris is expected to have a sunny and warm Tuesday with temperatures expected to reach 35 degrees Celsius.

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— World Triathlon (@worldtriathlon) July 30, 2024

Christophe Calas, a meteorologist with the Paris 2024 Olympics organizing committee, told reporters on Monday that storms were heading toward Paris from central France and could hit Tuesday night – further hurting the chances of the triathlon going ahead under the renewed plans.

“There are still many uncertainties about their trajectory, their intensity. We can’t say anything with certainty,” added Mr. Calas, who works for Météo France.

“If there is a storm in Paris tomorrow evening which brings significant rainfall, this would have an impact on the quality of the water in the Seine,” he added.

What are the conditions for the Seine to be suitable for swimming?

The testers measure the level of two bacteria: E. coli (Escherichia coli) and Enterococcus faecalis.

E. coli is a bacterium commonly found in the small intestine of warm-blooded organisms. Most strains of E. coli are harmless, but some can cause serious illness. Symptoms include abdominal cramps, diarrhea, fever, and vomiting.

Enterococcus faecalis is a common fecal bacterium, also often used as an indicator of water quality in swimming pools and public beaches.

According to European standards, the safety limit for E. coli is 900 colony-forming units (cfu) per 100 milliliters while the threshold for Enterococcus is 330 cfu/100 ml.

What are the factors that affect river water quality?

According to Benjamin Raigneau, director of water quality at Paris City Hall, four main factors have an impact on water pollution.

– Rains. More rain, more pollution.

– UV index. “The higher the UV index, the faster the bacteria die,” explains Raigneau.

– Temperature. The higher the temperature, the faster the bacteria die. “Whether the water temperature is 16 degrees Celsius (60 degrees Fahrenheit) or above 22 degrees Celsius (71 degrees F), as is usually the case in the summer, it makes a significant difference,” Raigneau said.

– The flow of the river. The faster the flow, the higher the pollution.

How is the decision made on Seine’s suitability?

Every afternoon, the day before each familiarization session (athletes’ swimming) and before each competition, a technical committee meets, bringing together all the stakeholders involved in the issue of water quality in the Seine: City of Paris, Paris 2024, International Federation, local authorities and Météo France.

At the end of this technical committee meeting, an initial analysis of the weather conditions is made.

On the day of the competition, at 3:30 in the morning, a final meeting is organized with all the stakeholders concerned.

Finally, what is the backup option?

Paris 2024 organisers have built flexibility into their calendar and have the ability to delay races by several days.

As a last resort, they said they would cancel the swimming leg of the triathlon and turn the race into a duathlon – with only running and cycling – while the marathon swim could be moved to Vaires-sur-Marne, on the Marne river east of Paris, which hosts the canoeing and rowing events.

“There are reserve days planned for the summer of 2024 for both sports, which will give us some room to maneuver,” Paris 2024 told Reuters.

“In addition, the decision-making process will be more refined and precise than ever since the Eau de Paris laboratory will analyze the water twice a day.”

The emergency date has been maintained at August 2 (Saturday), World Triathlon revealed in its statement.

(with contributions from agencies)