Men’s Olympic triathlon postponed as Paris’ $2.3bn River Seine farce laid bare

Olympic organisers have been forced into a huge move just hours before the men’s triathlon was meant to start in the River Seine.

The Olympic men’s triathlon has been postponed hours before the race was scheduled to start due to the pollution in the River Seine.

World Triathlon and the Paris Games’ organising committee confirmed the race would be pushed back a day but it continues to raise doubts about swimming in river would be safe, a question which has been hanging over the event for months leading up to the Olympics.

It comes after the training session for the triathletes was cancelled on Sunday due to the pollution levels.

Heavy rain that in the French capital on Friday and Saturday had worsened the pollution in some areas of the river to levels “still above the acceptable limits”, said a statement issued by World Triathlon.

The men’s triathlon is now scheduled for 10.45am Paris time (6.45pm AEST), after the women’s event is scheduled for 8am (4pm AEST), however “Both triathlons are subject to the forthcoming water tests complying with the established World Triathlon thresholds for swimming”, the statement continued.

A contingency day of August 2 is also an option for organisers.

AFP reported the rain on Friday and Saturday “led to discharges of raw sewage”.

Triathlon athletes during the World Triathlon Olympic Games Test Event last August. Photo by Bertrand GUAY / AFP

Prior to the postponement, Paris 2024 officials and World Triathlon had said they were “confident” that pollution would drop before the start of the competition given the hot, sunny weather, which helps keep bacteria levels down.

Temperatures are due to soar to highs of 35 Celsius (95 Fahrenheit) on Tuesday, prompting weather chiefs to issue a weather warning for Paris and surrounding areas.

The clean up of the River Seine has been a controversial topic in the lead up to the Olympics as swimming has been banned its waters for the past century due to pollution from sewage spilling into the river.

However, despite the river being declared clean enough for swimming before the Olympics started — enough for Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo take a dip on the eve of the Games — questions remain over whether it will be safe enough for the triathlon and marathon swimming events to be held on the Seine.

Anne Hidalgo going for a swim in the Seine. Photo by JULIEN DE ROSA / AFP

French officials had hoped that holding triathlon and marathon swimming on the river, lined by some of Paris’s most famous landmarks, would create enduring images of the Games.

But it came at a hefty price with 1.4 billion euros ($A2.3 billion) to clean up the river.

In early July due to negative tests in the river, the Olympics revealed a back up location for the triathlon, as well as even cutting the swimming portion of the event and just having a duathlon.

“The rules of the International Triathlon Federation allow the event to be switched to a duathlon format as a last resort,” a Paris 2024 spokesperson told Reuters in early July.

“Conversely, in order to guarantee that the marathon swimming events would take place, once our options for postponement had been exhausted, we decided to set up a reserve site at Vaires-sur-Marne (about 35km out of Paris).

“The competition site, already used for rowing and canoeing events, has all the necessary features to host these events if required.”

However, Paris Deputy Mayor Pierre Rabadan also last week declared the river will be the one and only location for the world’s best swimmers this summer.

Plenty of questions have been asked about the clean up efforts. Photo by Emmanuel DUNAND / AFP

But an employee from the city’s environmental department who agreed to speak with The US Sun last week hit out at the organising committee for stubbornly pushing forward on the Seine.

“It’s insane that the IOC and the organisation of the Olympics had that idea, and are now pushing to have the opening ceremony and some competitions in the Seine,” the employee said.

“The water is very bad, it’s full of dirt and not proper for any activity.

“Also, the levels of chemicals, human faeces, and other dirty things are very high, so bacteria like E. coli are everywhere.”

The US Sun also reported an anonymous member of the Olympic organising committee, who called the decision to hold events in the Seine was “horrible”.

“Doing the opening ceremony and some competitions in the Seine River is by far the most stupid and irresponsible idea from the government, the IOC, and the Paris city hall,” the Olympic organiser said.

“We all know that this water is filthy, disgusting, whatever bad word you want to use.

“The sewers of most of the city end up there, the water is nasty, that is not proper to jump and swim in there.

“The 1.4 billion spent to clean the water was a waste, and people are very upset that this kind of money got thrown out of the window because Macron and the city of Paris had that fantasy, that dream.”

With AFP

Originally published as Men’s Olympic triathlon postponed as Paris’ $2.3bn River Seine farce laid bare