Olympic triathletes complained loud and clear last week when the Olympic (men’s) triathlon was postponed by one day only a few hours before the original start, and in particular about the uncertainty they had to deal with right up to the last minute, but today they have to deal with it again. Tomorrow morning the Olympic Mixed Team Relay will take place, but once again it is uncertain whether swimming will be able to take place ‘as normal’ in the Seine.
The water quality of the Seine has been poor for more than a hundred years, and for just as long swimming in the world-famous river has not been possible. This is mainly due to the fact that the French sewers overflow into the Seine when it rains heavily, releasing all the filth into the river. This past week, too, the water quality was a huge problem. After their Olympic race, several athletes spoke of foul stench in the water that they have never experienced before during a swim event. Despite Paris investing 1.4 billion euro in improving water quality, the city has so far failed to do so. Moreover, the current in the Seine is also a tricky issue; it is so strong that even the current of the water is just within the permitted margins.
In any case, the swim reccy for the Mixed Team Relay has been cancelled today, again because of the poor water quality in the Seine.
Only tomorrow morning around 4 a.m CEST., four hours before the start of the Olympic Mixed Team Relay race, will it become clear whether the water meets the standards to allow the race to take place.
