Athletes competing in upcoming Olympic swimming marathons are frequently facing training delays due to water quality problems in the River Seine.
Paris Olympics organisers have cancelled open water swimming training on the River Seine due to pollution, raising questions about why triathletes were allowed to use the canal the day before.
The decision is the fifth time organisers have abandoned trains since the Olympics began on July 28, and is likely to frustrate marathon swimmers who will need to get used to the strong currents of the Seine.
A statement from World Aquatics and the organizing committee about the third day of the show said that in all four readings of enterococci bacteria in the river – an indicator of the presence of fecal matter – were above the upper limit allowed.
He explained that “this decision (to cancel the train) was taken with great caution, especially given that another introductory session is scheduled to be held the following day, August 7.”
Since the Seine River was chosen as the venue for the triathlon and marathon swim, French authorities have been in a race against time to clean up the canal.
Triathlon has been badly hit by poor bacterial readings last week, with all swimming training sessions cancelled and a 24-hour individual men's test added, until the fourth show.
The mixed race also looked questionable in the second exhibition, but eventually happened within the schedule, with Germany beating us in a thrilling race that saw the USA and Great Britain win gold and bronze medals.
Marathon swimming – a distance of 10 kilometres (6.2 miles) in open water – is reserved for women on day five and men on day six.
Organisers said the swimming marathon could be moved to another location in Vayres-sur-Marne, on the Marne River east of Paris, as the Seine is too polluted to use.
They said on day three that they were “very confident” that both the men's and women's events would take place in Sinai.
