By: Ellie Zhang 1
The 2024 Olympic triathlon training at the River Seine has been canceled due to many concerns about the water quality.
Other than swimming, running and cycling are the other two components of the triathlon. The swimming triathlon was intended to take place in Paris’ iconic river.
When the location was first announced, many were confused. This is because swimming in the River Seine was illegal for over a century due to the high levels of pollution and bacteria that could make people ill.
The water quality in the River Seine is partly due to weather. When it rains, excess sewage water can be washed into the river.
After the water quality was tested, it showed that the levels weren’t safe enough to swim in. The Paris 2024 team and World Triathlon made a final decision to cancel Sunday’s training session.
However, they said:
“Given the weather forecast for the next 36 hours, Paris 2024 and World Triathlon are confident that water quality will return to below limits before the start of the triathlon competitions on July 30.”
A massive $1.5bn has been spent, in hopes of making the water swimmable for athletes.
Paris Mayor, Anne Hidalgo, swam in the river earlier this month to display her faith in its cleanliness. Amélie Oudéa-Castér, the French sports minister, also swam in the river, confirming that it was safe.
For the first time in a century, the River Seine is swimmable.
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