Another flub for France threatened to turn the triathlon into a duathlon after “meteorological events beyond our control” made the River Seine unsafe.
Be it divine judgment or merely the humiliation incurred from hubris, the Paris 2024 Olympic Games and the nation have been plagued with setbacks, “sabotage” and scandal since it kicked off. Tuesday, added sewer contamination to the troubles after a $1.5 billion investment proved insufficient to clear the river of bacteria.
After already having practice sessions on Sunday and Monday canceled in the Seine, a statement from World Triathlon, the international governing body of the event, explained that Tuesday’s Men’s event would be bumped to Wednesday or worse if conditions did not improve.
“Following a meeting on water quality held on 30 July…the decision has been made to postpone the men’s triathlon event which was due to be held on 30 July at 8 am,” the statement said referring to the meeting that included the International Olympic Committee, Paris 2024, World Triathlon representatives, as well as representatives for the city, the prefecture and the teams responsible for water quality tests.
“Unfortunately, meteorological events beyond our control, such as the rain which fell over Paris on 26 and 27 July, can alter water quality and compel us to reschedule the event for health reasons. Despite the improvement of the water quality levels in the last hours,” the statement added, “the readings at some points of the swim course are still above the acceptable limits.”
— World Triathlon (@worldtriathlon) July 30, 2024
According to the most recently published report, E. Coli levels were at least double what is considered acceptable near the Pont Alexandre III bridge where the racers were expected to start and complete their event.
The threshold set as a safe limit was marked at 900 colony-forming units per 100 milliliters and Tuesday Paris 2024 Director of Sports Aurélie Merle said tests came in at a range of 980 to 1,553, according to the Associated Press.
“There are unfortunate meteorological events outside of our control,” said Merle, adding gravitas to the explanation that rainfall had caused the sewers to flood into the river. “But otherwise the project is still very strong. When we see the impact on the quality and the legacy that we can leave also to the Parisians, we all feel extremely proud of what we’ve done so far.”
As previously mentioned, $1.5 billion was invested to improve the sewers, including the construction of a massive basin meant to prevent the contamination that had occurred.
Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo was so confident in the plan that she participated in swimming in the Seine in the days leading up to the opening ceremony. Her promotion of the sanitization of the river came prior to additional rainfall on Friday and Saturday, with more rain in the forecast through Thursday.
Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo — true to her word — has plunged into the Seine Wednesday to showcase its cleanliness ahead of the 2024 Olympic Games. pic.twitter.com/q0jRLTROQL
— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) July 17, 2024
Others hardly shared her enthusiasm for a dip in the waters where swimming has been outlawed since 1923. Passersby spoke with The New Zealand Herald and called the water “dirty,” and “really murky,” saying they would “definitely not” swim there.
(Video Credit: The New Zealand Herald)
The latest mark to tarnish the summer event came as an anti-Christian opening ceremony sparked backlash and calls for boycotts. An “ultra-left activist” was arrested as well and believed to be connected to “sabotage” that impacted nearly a million rail travelers in the country. Blackouts also swept the city.
One day after they mocked Christianity, Paris went black—expect for the Basilica of Sacré Coeur
“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” John 1:5 pic.twitter.com/lWIxtNvhPX
— William Wolfe (@William_E_Wolfe) July 28, 2024
World Triathlon President Marisol Casado made clear that if a potential secondary postponement to Friday still proved insufficient, the swimming portion of the race would be nixed altogether. Defending the possibility amid concerns it would prove unfair to racers who perform better in the water leg, she remarked, “It’s just another situation of the competition.”
Native of Brooklyn, NY, Kevin Haggerty is a graduate of Hunter College where he studied Cultural Anthropology and Geography. An avid reader and truth seeker, he currently resides in Texas with his wife and their dog and, when he isn't researching current events and their impacts, you'll find him spending time with friends and family or working on his next novel.
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