Uncertainty remains over River Seine sports events
Paris 2024 organisers are optimistic. On six of the last seven days that the river water has been tested, its levels were suitable for the triathlon and marathon swim, but there is still a ‘plan b’ in case changes need to be made.
Several French authorities are trying to prove that there is no problem with the Parisian river. Last Wednesday it was the mayor of the city, Anne Hidalgo, together with the president of the Organising Committee of the Games, Tony Estanguet, who bathed in its waters, in a gesture that removes suspicions about whether athletes can compete there.
The water quality tests still do not allow to be sure that the conditions will be the best to compete. But things seem to be looking up. In six of the last seven days of water analysis it has been found to be sufficiently clean, according to the City Council. This corresponds to the week of 10-16 July.
The level of E.Coli bacteria has been correct in the Alexandre-III bridge, one of the points where samples are collected. Though in three other points of the river the results have not been so good.
Recently there have been two days of rain, one particularly heavy on 9 July, and this “has had an impact on the quality of the water”. The last few days, with better weather and higher temperatures, have caused the water level to drop and the water quality to recover quickly. If heavy rains are repeated, doubts could increase. In these conditions it is easier for untreated wastewater to end up in the river.
The Seine will be one of the protagonists of the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games, to be held on Friday, 26 July. The elements that make up that night are always kept secret in order to surprise the public.
The competitions to be held in the French capital’s river are the Triathlon and the Marathon Swimming. The men’s Triathlon will take place on 30 July and the women’s event on 31 July, while the Mixed Relays will be held on 5 August. The Marathon Swimming, with a distance of 10 km, will be on the 8 August, in the case of the women, and on the 9th in the case of the men.
If the water quality worsens, there is a ‘plan b’. Either postpone some of the competitions, or move them to Vaires-sur-Marne, the neighbouring river east of Paris.