The organizing committee for the Paris Olympics has unveiled backup plans for open-water events in the Seine River if the river is deemed unsuitable for swimming. Triathlon and marathon swimming events are scheduled to take place in the iconic river running through Paris, but recent weeks have seen unsafe levels of E. coli, raising concerns about the feasibility of the events.
Organizers confirmed on Friday that they have contingency plans in place. The triathlon and marathon, scheduled to take place near the Alexander III bridge between July 30 and August 5, could be postponed by a few days if conditions remain unsafe. A statement from the organizers emphasized the need for caution due to the possibility of unseasonal weather events.
In a worst-case scenario, if heavy rain affects the Seine’s flow and leads to an increase in bacteria levels, the triathlon could be altered to a duathlon, eliminating the swimming portion. The marathon swimming competition could be relocated to the Vaires-sur-Marne Nautical Stadium in the greater Paris region, which already hosts rowing and canoeing competitions and has a capacity of 15,000 spectators.
Despite the backup plans, organizers expressed confidence in the Seine’s water quality, noting improvements in recent days. The latest reports on the Seine’s water quality published by Paris city hall attributed the significant improvement in bacteria levels to the sunnier weather and warmer temperatures in the French capital last week. “We have observed in the past week that results would have enabled events to be held in the Seine on seven out of nine days,” Paris 2024 organizers said.
