Paris Olympics: Men’s triathlon postponed due to Seine river pollution

The men’s triathlon at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris has been postponed on Tuesday due to concerns about water quality in the Seine River, per the Associated Press. Organizers said they will try to hold the men’s triathlon on Wednesday. This comes after Paris experienced a downpour during the opening ceremony on Friday, and storms or rain are forecast Tuesday night through Thursday, which could make efforts to reschedule the event difficult since rain causes bacteria levels in the Seine to rise.

“There are unfortunate meteorological events outside of our control,” Aurélie Merle, the Paris 2024 director of sports, said in a statement. “But otherwise the project is still very strong. When we see the impact on the quality and the legacy that we can leave also to the Parisians, we all feel extremely proud of what we’ve done so far.”

According to ESPN, Paris has spent 1.5 billion euros to clean up the river. Officials in Paris take two samples to test the E. coli level each day. Some athletes will reportedly take extra measures to prevent being sick, such as eating yogurt, taking probiotics and using mouthwash.

“We actually raced here last year in the test event, and I don’t think anyone got sick after the race, so that can’t be said about all the races we do,” American triathlete Seth Rider said.

“To be honest, for me, I’d swim in anything to try and get a medal,” Australian triathlete Matt Hauser told the Sydney Morning Herald.

More on the triathlon at the Paris Olympics

The triathlon debuted at the Summer Olympics at the 2000 Games in Sydney. Great Britain has been the most successful in the event, winning eight medals in its history. Switzerland and Australia have earned five medals, while New Zealand and the United States each have four.

Alistair Brownlee is the only athlete to win two medals in the individual triathlon event. In June, Brownlee shared his thoughts on the triathlon taking place in Paris despite the issues with the Seine River.

“I think the risks associated with the water are very low to be honest,” Brownlee said, per Eurosport. “There’s been a lot of work done to mitigate and clean the Seine and put various other things in place, so I’m pretty confident it’s going to go ahead.”