MOSCOW, July 29, Andrey Simonenko. Executive Director of the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics Etienne Tobois said that the organizers have a backup plan in case of severe pollution of the Seine, and also expressed confidence that the planned triathlon competitions will take place.
The triathlon competitions at the Olympics are scheduled for July 30 and 31.
«There has been a lot of rain in recent days, but the Seine is now falling sharply, the weather forecast is good, it is hot, so we are confident that we will be able to hold the competition, although today we had to cancel the familiarization with the course. There is a backup plan, but we are confident that we will be able to hold the competition tomorrow. The current is higher than usual for this time of year, but today we are within the norm,» Tobois said at an IOC briefing.
The Olympics are being held from July 26 to August 11. According to media reports, the level of E. coli pollution in the Seine exceeded the recommended limit on the day of Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo's demonstration swim in the river that flows through the capital. Hidalgo swam in the Seine ahead of the Olympics to prove that the river is safe to hold competitions. The mayor was joined in the swim by the chairman of the Paris Organizing Committee, Tony Estanguet, and the prefect of the capital region, Marc Guillaume.
«The decision (on holding the triathlon competition) will be made at 4 a.m. based on samples taken over the past 24 hours. The decision will be made jointly with the IOC and the international federation, delegations will be notified immediately, a statement will be issued,» added Toboua.
Earlier, the triathletes' training swim for the Olympics, which was supposed to take place on Monday morning, was cancelled due to contaminated water in the Seine. Before that, training on Sunday was also cancelled for the same reason. The rain that fell in Paris on Friday and Saturday is said to be the cause of the water contamination.