There will be no swimming in the Seine this Sunday, August 20, for the triathlon test event in the mixed relay, with a view to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, the organizers jointly announced, the results of the analyzes of the river water “not offering the necessary guarantees for the good performance of the swimming test”. “Faced with the persistence of discrepancies in the water quality analysis results, the decision was taken jointly to switch the mixed relay test event to a duathlon competition”, read in a joint press release. , the organizing committee and the International Federation, World Triathlon, who had already opted for the same solution, namely only cycling and running, for the paratriathlon test event the day before.
Less than a year from the Olympic deadline, this is the third test event troubled by the quality of the river water in two weeks: earlier this month, the open water swimming event was canceled.
In question then, as Saturday in the case of the paratriathlon, the concentration of bacteria Escherichia coli (E. coli). “Laboratory sampling had a slightly higher rate” than the level allowed by World Triathlon regulations, Paris City Hall sports deputy Pierre Rabadan said on Saturday during a press briefing. “It was slightly over 1000 (CFU per 100ml),” he further explained. In any case, there is no question of a plan B in a year for the Games, repeated Tony Estanguet on Saturday: “There is no solution for moving the event. The triathlon and open water swimming will take place in the Seine next year. »
