One of the main objectives of Paris was for the Olympic Games to be “citizen-focused,” which is why they decided to move the Opening Ceremony out of a stadium and hold it at Trocadero Plaza with the spectacular backdrop of the Eiffel Tower. The same idea inspired the decision to have the first part of the triathlon take place by swimming through the unhealthy Seine River, for which they spent 1.5 billion dollars on its cleaning.
However, all that investment has not prevented a major embarrassment for the Organizing Committee, as this Tuesday the men’s triathlon had to be postponed due to the dirtiness of the Seine River, and they hope it can take place on Wednesday.
Whose fault is it for the problems in triathlon?
The first criticisms for this disgrace are aimed at the organizers, who are blamed for thinking first about the televised stage of touring Paris rather than the safety of the athletes.
The triathlon route includes 1,500 meters along the River Seine from the Alexander III Bridge, and then for the cycling and running, participants should pass by the Grand Palais, the National Assembly, the Champs-Élysées, and the Boulevard Saint-Germain in the Latin Quarter.
At some point, the option of holding the triathlon in Nice, on the famous French Riviera, was evaluated, but it was ultimately discarded.
There is also suspicion about the role played by the mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, who aims for such investment to provide Parisians with a healthier river after the Games. The plan included the construction of a massive underground water storage basin in the city center, the renovation of sewer infrastructure, and the modernization of wastewater treatment plants.
In fact, days before the inauguration, Hidalgo bathed in the river to demonstrate his alleged cleanliness.
Why do the organizers blame climate change?
The Organizing Committee blames the rains from last weekend, as the equivalent of a whole month of normal July rainfall fell in two days. This caused a quantity of fecal bacteria known as E. coli to end up in the Seine river in amounts exceeding the permitted levels.
“We live in the 21st century, where unfortunately many more weather events occur that are beyond the control of organizers,” said Aurelie Merle, sports director of Paris 2024.
The organizers' idea is for the men's triathlon to take place this Wednesday, but if the pollution level remains high, it will be postponed until Friday. The issue is that Meteo-France's weather service forecasted storms for Tuesday night, light rain on Wednesday afternoon, and storms on Thursday.
Anyway, there is a Plan B: eliminate swimming and turn the event into a duathlon, although that would not save the Organizing Committee, the city of Paris, and Mayor Hidalgo from a historic embarrassment.
The other swimming tests scheduled in the Seine are the mixed triathlon relay on August 5, and the open water marathons in both categories on August 8 and 9.