Paris: Paris Olympics organisers cancelled the triathlon swimming training session for the second day in a row on Monday, with 24 hours to go until the men’s race, after heavy rain affected water quality levels in the Seine.
Fifty-five triathletes are scheduled to line up at 8 a.m. (0600 GMT) on Tuesday on a floating pontoon next to the Pont Alexandre III and dive into the Seine, marking the first time athletes have competed in the river at an Olympics since 1900.
The women’s individual race is scheduled for Wednesday, also at 8 a.m.
A swimmable Seine is a key legacy Games organisers aim to leave behind for Paris residents.
France has invested some $1.4 billion in new wastewater infrastructure to cut the amounts of sewage flowing into the river, and city authorities have announced plans for three swimming sites to open to the public by June next year.
Sunday’s training session was also cancelled after tests carried out on Saturday showed water quality did not meet the required threshold.
The running and bike training sessions remain unaffected.
“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,” organisers said in a statement on Monday.
(Reporting by Helen Reid; Additional reporting by Chiranjit Ojha in Bengaluru; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
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