Would you like to receive notifications on latest updates of the following headlines?

Paris 2024 President says Weather may Delay Swimming

POSTED ON April 10, 2024 •   Sports      BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara
Athletes dive into the River Seine during the swim familiarisation event before triathlon test races in Paris last August l Credit: Bertrand Guay l SOurce: Getty Images

Paris 2024 president Tony Estanguet has said that the swimming leg of the triathlon at this summer's Olympics could be canceled if heavy rain affects water quality in the River Seine.

Recent testing by charity Surfrider Foundation Europe revealed "alarming" external levels of E. coli in the river.

Estanguet said contingency plans are in place, including delaying the event until later in the Games.

Speaking at Sport Accord in Birmingham, Estanguet said: "We can postpone for rainy conditions. Because it's programmed at the beginning of the Games, we can wait for better conditions. So we are confident that it will be possible to use the Seine.

"And there is a final decision where we could not swim - it's part of the rules of the International Federation. It's what we want to avoid, of course."

 

Rain at Paris 2024 will make Seine events 'difficult'

The Olympics start on 26 July, with the men's and women's triathlon scheduled for 30 and 31 July respectively and the mixed event on 5 August.

The Seine is also set to host marathon swimming at the Olympics and the Para-triathlon event at the Paralympics, which start on 28 August.

Surfrider Foundation Europe said 14 water samples taken from near the Alexandre III Bridge, the starting point for the triathlon, marathon swimming and Para-triathlon events, failed to meet safety standards.

Heavy rain in the days leading up to events could raise levels of bacteria in the water.

The Open Water Swimming World Cup and the swimming leg of the World Triathlon Para Cup - both test events for the 2024 Games - were called off in August because of water quality issues, although the World Triathlon test event went ahead later that month.

Organisers say about 1.4bn euro (£1.2bn) is being spent on a regeneration project to make the Seine safe to swim in, including a rainwater storage basin to try and reduce the risks of pollution.

The water will be tested every day during the Olympics to ensure it is safe.

Three open-air swimming areas accessible from the quayside are set to open by 2025, 102 years after the French government banned swimming in the Seine because of health concerns.

"There is a big programme of investment," said Estanguet. "And when we talk about legacy, this project is fantastic."

 

READ ALSO
Chelsea Advances to Last 16 of Club World Cup with 3-0 Win Over Esperance
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara June 25, 2025 0

Liam Delap netted his first goal for Chelsea during a 3-0 victory over Tunisian champions Esperance...

READ ALSO
Osimhen Willing to Join Manchester United for Under £200,000 a Week
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara June 24, 2025 0

Victor Osimhen is reportedly willing to accept a weekly wage of just under £200,000 at Manches...

READ ALSO
Mertens Announces Retirement from Football, Cites Age and Fatigue
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara June 24, 2025 0

Belgian football star Dries Mertens has officially announced his retirement from professional footba...

READ ALSO
AFN Will Not Block Favour Ofili’s Switch to Turkey – Okowa
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara June 23, 2025 0

President of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN), Tonobok Okowa, has stated that the federatio...

READ ALSO
Kylian Mbappé to rejoin Team after Food Poison Treatment
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara June 20, 2025 0

France and Real Madrid of Spain forward, Kylian Mbappe, has been discharged from hospital after bein...

READ ALSO
Atlético de Madrid Secures First Win in FIFA Club World Cup with 3-1 Victory
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara June 20, 2025 0

Spanish football giant, Atlético de Madrid, has secured their first three points of the Feder...

READ ALSO
Messi Scores 50th Goal for Inter Miami in Historic Club World Cup Victory
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara June 20, 2025 0

Argentine forward, Lionel Messi, scored his 50th goal for the United State football club, Inter Miam...

READ ALSO
Nigerian Boxers Shine with Four Bronze Medals at Championship in Morocco
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara June 20, 2025 0

Nigeria's Armed Forces are vying for their first gold medal at the 6th African Military Boxing Champ...

OUR CHANNELS:

We Rendered Oil Smuggling Unattractive, A New Era for Nigeria's Economy - Tinubu
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara July 4, 2025 0

President Bola Tinubu has proclaimed that his administration has salvaged Nigeria’s economy fr...


Microsoft Cuts 4% of Workforce Amid AI Investment Strategy
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara July 3, 2025 0

Microsoft is set to lay off nearly 4% of its workforce, impacting around 9,000 employees across diff...


Amaechi Exits APC, Calls for Urgent Restructuring of Nigeria
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara July 3, 2025 0

A former Minister of Transportation,Rotimi Amaechi,has left the All Progressives Congress (APC).&nbs...


K-pop's Global Influence Inspires Afrobeat Collaboration
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara July 3, 2025 0

The Korean Cultural Centre in Nigeria is keen on promoting collaboration between Nigeria’s Afr...


Lagos Assembly Summons AG over Controversial Local Government Law Commencement
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara July 3, 2025 0

The Lagos State House of Assembly has called upon the State’s Attorney General, Lawal Pedro (S...


Man Arrested for Brutal Killing of His Mother
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara July 3, 2025 0

A heartbreaking case of matricide has rocked the Dantanoma quarters in Gumel Local Government Area o...


PDP Bigwigs Urge Nigerians to Join New Coalition Against APC
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara July 2, 2025 0

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, former Senate President David Mark, ex-Governor of Jigawa Stat...


Senate approves new leadership for Law Reform commission
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara July 4, 2025 0

The Senate has ratified the appointment of Professor Dakas C.J. Dakas as the Chairman of the Nigeria...


Nigerian Deported After Conviction for Smuggling Fake $100,000
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara July 1, 2025 0

A Nigerian, Aremu Adegboyega, has been convicted by a Circuit Court in Accra, Ghana, for attempting...


ECOWAS Pushes for Legal Framework to Boost AI Development in West Africa
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara July 1, 2025 0

The Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament, Hadja Ibrahima, has emphasized the need for a robust legal fra...


More Articles

Load more...

Menu