A training session for the triathletes at the 2024 Paris Olympics has been canceled for the second day in a row due to high pollution levels in the Seine River. The Seine, which flows down the heart of Paris, has had high E. coli levels leading up to the Games.
Yesterday’s training session was also canceled due to high levels of pollution. The men’s triathlon race is set to begin tomorrow, Tuesday, July 29th. The women’s race is set for Wednesday.
With less than 24 hours to go until the men’s race, the backup plan for the triathlon events is to hold them as a duathlon. This means there would be no swimming portion and only the biking and running parts of the race.
A final decision on the men’s race is expected at 4 am local time using tests taken about 24 hours before. The men’s race is scheduled to begin at 8 am local time in Paris.
The Seine is also scheduled to hold the open water races which are scheduled for next week. World Triathlon and World Aquatics (in charge of the open water races) have different acceptable limits for E.Coli and other bacterial levels:
World Aquatics requirements for inland waterways:
● Enterococci score: <200 is Excellent; <400 is Good; >400 is Unacceptable
● E. Coli score: <500 is Excellent; <1,000 is Good; >1,000 is Unacceptable
World Triathlon requirements for inland waterways:
● Enterococci score: <200 is Excellent; <400 is Good; <330 is Sufficient
● E. Coli score: <500 is Excellent; <1,000 is Good; <900 is Sufficient
NBC reported on its broadcast during the Opening Ceremony that the E. Coli levels were “too high” that day. If the races were held that day, they would have been postponed. The contingency day for the individual triathlon races is August 2nd.
Rain fell in Paris most of Friday (as seen through the opening ceremony) and Saturday. The weather report remains the same as yesterday as only some scattered rain expected Wednesday and Thursday.
How hard is it to re-route the bike portion so they just join the original route and end the run with the photo opp the French want?
No other lakes or rivers in France? I realize there is more to it than just moving the venue, but it is a better option than eliminating one of the three disciplines. This is the equivalent of eliminating special teams in American football.
What a joke if it ends up being a duathlon
I hope it’s not but I’m afraid that is going to happen.
Someone suggested earlier just having the swim part in a pool? Seems like that may be a good solution, unless they have them go somewhere else, like for open water swimming.
I did a local tri many years ago where the swim was scheduled for the pool due to time of year. When all the swimmers were finished in the pool, they started us all off together for the bike/run. It would make sense for that here since there is no plan B, and even plan A is a cluster.
It definitely would have been the best option.
But then now the swim would not end where the bike and the run start? The time to have dealt with this was months ago when everyone knew this was going to happen. Obviously covering their eyes and hoping for the best did not work… or does not appear that it’s going to work.
A pool swim is not an option. They all need to start at the same time. It’s not a time trial. The bike is draft legal. The first across the line wins, and there have been photo finishes.