Ana Barbosu Speaks Out About Jordan Chiles Losing Her Olympic Bronze Medal
Despite the allocated budget of $1.53 billion to clean up the perennially polluted Seine, concerns persisted leading up to the Paris Games about the safety of holding the swimming leg of the triathlons and 10-kilometer marathons in the river.
Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo went for a swim on July 17 and assured that France’s most famous body of water was safe to use, but issues arose during the Olympics.
On July 29, swims for the triathletes were canceled due to poor water quality levels from run-off after heavy weekend rains (which coincidentally started during the July 26 Opening Ceremony).
The men’s triathlon was postponed and rescheduled for July 31 following the women’s event, as the organizers found bacteria levels too high for a safe swim.
Both triathlons took place on July 31, with day-of tests confirming that E. coli and intestinal enterococci levels were within acceptable limits according to the European Union’s Bathing Water Directive.
Concerns about water safety resurfaced after two triathlon athletes withdrew from the mixed-relay competition, citing illnesses not definitively linked to swimming in the Seine.
The women’s and men’s 10km events are still scheduled for Aug. 8 and 9, but practices were canceled on Aug. 6 due to high bacteria levels in the water once again.