The Seine was too polluted on June 16, a month and a half before the Olympic Games (July 26 – August 11), with regard to the criteria for authorizing triathlon and open water swimming events, according to the analysis results.
“To date, the samples in the Seine do not correspond to the standards that we will have this summer“, commented during a press point the regional prefect Marc Guillaume, who said:confident, with the Cojo (Steering Committee), on the holding of the tests at the end of July/beginning of August in the Seine“. The bad weather in France in recent days explains concentrations well above the standards of the 2 fecal bacteria to authorize competitions in the river.
Postponement possible
Star of these Olympics, the Seine will host the opening ceremony as well as the triathlon, open water swimming and paratriathlon events. But suspense remains over the holding of the Olympic events since the “test events” of August 2023 which had to be largely canceled due to insufficient water quality.
In the event of intense precipitation, untreated water – a mixture of rain and wastewater – can be released into the river, a phenomenon that retention works inaugurated just before the Games are intended to prevent. Plan B consists of postponing the tests for a few days, but not changing location.
afp/bur
