- French authorities insist that the river’s waters are suitable for training and competitions
On August 4, the organizers of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games (OG) decided to cancel again the training sessions on the River Seine, which were part of the preparation for the mixed triathlon relay competition.
The move was announced amid reports of athletes from several countries falling ill after swimming in the river. However, Anne Descamps, spokeswoman for the Olympic Organising Committee, argued that the cancellation was due to rain and not pollution of the river.
The Organising Committee did not reveal the results of the latest bacteriological analyses, but said it remains optimistic about holding the next competition as scheduled.
Descamps added that the decision to carry out the test will be made once the last water samples are examined on August 8 and 9, as was previously the case with the men’s and women’s triathlons.
On that occasion, the men’s competition on July 31 had to be postponed because the levels of bacterial contamination detected were higher than what is considered suitable for swimming, but it was able to take place the following day, as was the women’s event.
Reports of sick athletes
Canadian triathlete Tyler Mislawchuk reported that he suffered an upset stomach after participating in one of the events on the Seine River.
According to his statement, he vomited 10 times after crossing the finish line. However, Mislawchuk attributed this to the heat and the conditions of the race.
The Belgian Olympic Committee and the triathlon federation announced on August 4 that their mixed team will not participate in the upcoming race on the River Seine because their triathlete Claire Michel became ill with a stomach ache after participating in the women’s race on July 31.
“Claire Michel, a member of the relay team, is unfortunately ill and must withdraw from the competition,” the organisations said in a statement.
Triathlete Adrien Brifford was replaced in the Swiss team due to a gastrointestinal infection. However, the Swiss delegation’s medical officer, Hasnpeter Betschart, said that this circumstance cannot be linked to the quality of the water in the Seine River.
Pollution of the Seine River
The uncertainty about the quality of the water is due to the fact that when it rains, the sewage water is dumped into the river without passing through the treatment plants, which increases the presence of bacteria such as Escherichia coli (E. coli), which can cause diseases such as gastroenteritis.
Since 2016, the French government has invested 1.4 billion euros in a plan to allow athletes to swim at the Olympics, which will be open to the public at four points along the River Seine from the summer of 2025.
The Olympic Organising Committee spokeswoman said the water quality was rated as “very good” by World Thriathlon.
However, data from private measurements have also been released which showed higher pollution levels than the official ones.
Specifically, the French company Fluidion, dedicated to water monitoring, obtained concentration levels of the E. coli bacteria above those recommended by health authorities.
The independent company explained that the threshold between acceptable and optimal water quality must also be taken into account in classifying bathing water quality, such as the appearance of the water and weather conditions.
With information from EFE
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2024-08-05 07:02:09
