PARIS (AP) — The men’s triathlon at the Olympic Games, which was scheduled to take place on Tuesday, was postponed due to the poor water quality of the River Seine.
The organizers announced that they will try to carry out the test on Wednesday. The women's triathlon is also scheduled for Wednesday, but both depend on water quality analysis. Friday was also left as another possible date.
However, Meteo-France, the meteorological service of France, predicted storms for Tuesday night, light rain in the afternoon on Wednesday, and storms on Thursday, which could complicate the schedule.
The downpours usually spike the levels of E. coli bacteria in the Seine.
A strong rain hit the opening ceremony on Friday and the showers persisted on Saturday. The swim portion of the training sessions that allow triathletes to familiarize themselves with the route was canceled on both Sunday and Monday due to water quality.
The decision to postpone the men's triathlon was made after a meeting early on Tuesday that included the leaders of the governing body World Triathlon, their medical experts, and authorities from Paris.
"Despite the improvement in water quality in the last few hours, levels at some points along the swimming route remain above acceptable limits," the organizers said in a statement when announcing the postponement. They emphasized that their "priority is to ensure the health of the athletes."
The organizers and the city of Paris were hopeful that fecal bacteria levels would improve with clear skies and warmer temperatures in the following days, but it was not enough to make the sanitary conditions suitable.
The deputy mayor of Paris, Pierre Rabadan, indicated that "the trend is improving," but "we are still not below the level."
He added that holding both competitions on Wednesday at the Sena "appears to be the best option." However, he did not rule out other postponements "in case of new difficulties tomorrow with the results of the analysis."
Paris has heavily invested in cleaning the Seine River and ensuring that Parisians have a healthier river after the Games. The plan included the construction of a massive underground water storage basin in the center of Paris, the renovation of the sewer infrastructure, and the modernization of wastewater treatment plants.
The Parisian mayor, Anne Hidalgo, took a famous dip in the river less than two weeks before the Games began, fulfilling her promise to show that the waterway, long contaminated, was clean enough to host the swimming competitions.
The other swimming tests scheduled in the Seine are the mixed triathlon relay on August 5th, and the open water marathons in both categories on August 8th and 9th.