The organizers of the Olympic Games in Paris have announced the cancellation of the open water swimming training in the Seine River due to pollution concerns. This decision has raised questions about how triathletes were allowed to use the waterway earlier in the day. This marks the fifth time that organizers have canceled training in the river since the games began on July 28, which is likely to frustrate marathon swimmers who need to acclimate to the Seine’s strong currents.
In a statement from World Aquatics and the organizing committee, it was reported early Tuesday that one out of four water samples for enterococci—a bacteria that serves as an indicator for the presence of waste materials in water—exceeded the acceptable limit. “This decision [to cancel training] has been made out of an abundance of caution, especially since another training session is scheduled for August 7,” the statement read.
Since the Seine was chosen as the venue for triathlon and marathon swimming events, French authorities have been working intensively to clean the water. The triathlon was significantly affected by poor bacterial measurements last week, leading to the cancellation of all swimming training sessions and a 24-hour delay of the men’s individual race, which was rescheduled to Wednesday.
A mixed relay event also appeared to be at risk on Monday but ultimately went ahead as planned, resulting in a nail-biting finish where Germany secured the gold medal, while the United States and Great Britain took home silver and bronze, respectively.
The marathon swimming events—10 km races in open water—are scheduled to take place on Thursday for women and Friday for men. Organizers have indicated that the marathon swimming could be relocated to a different site in Vaires-sur-Marne, near the Marne River east of Paris, if the Seine proves to be too polluted. They stated on Tuesday that they are “very confident” both the men’s and women’s events will occur in the Seine.