Paris Olympics triathlon training canceled due to pollution in Seine
Olympic organizers cancelled a second day of triathlon training in the River Seine planned for Monday after weekend downpours in Paris polluted the waterway, Liberation reports.
The sport's governing body, World Triathlon, its medical team and city officials are banking on sunny weather and higher temperatures to bring the bacteria levels below the necessary limits to stage the swim portion of the race, which also includes biking and running.
Organizers say the backup plan is to postpone the events and, if elevated bacteria levels persist, the swimming portion of the race will be abandoned and the athletes will compete in a duathlon.
Swimming in the Seine has been banned for over a century in big part because of the poor water quality. Organizers have invested 1.4 billion euros ($1.5 billion) to prepare the river ahead of the Olympics.
The quality of the Seine’s water is dependent on the amount of rain that falls in and around Paris.