Contrary to a recent action/horror movie, there are no sharks in the Seine. There was a shark watch, though, at the very first Olympic triathlon in 2000 during the Sydney Games.
At the Olympics, water dilemmas are nothing for triathlon swimming.
A boat once got in the way of an Olympic triathlon, too. And now, two of the last three Summer Games triathlons have dealt water quality concerns swirling around the swim portion.
There always seems to be something with a sport that combines swimming, cycling and running. The trials and tribulations of staging the men’s and women’s triathlon competitions in Paris’ famed waterway are just the latest chapter.
Organizers have been adamant in their insistence the swimming portion of the triathlon and the marathon swimming events next week could safely be held in the river. There have been health questions leading into the event, similar to Rio in 2016 at the Copacabana beach.
“I understand they’re great waterways and they’re sources of pride and all that, but I don’t think it’s worth it just to do this,” Dr. Nicole Iovine, an infectious diseases specialist at the University of Florida, said. “Why put anybody at any level of risk? It just doesn’t make sense. It’s something that cannot be completely controlled from a health and safety perspective. And since there are alternatives, why take the risk?”
Paris Olympics: Seine Water Quality
The scenery around the Seine was certainly picturesque, especially with the Eiffel Tower in the backdrop as the triathletes finished on the bridge that spans the waterway.
However, the competition was plagued by concern over the water quality. Elevated levels of bacteria delayed the men’s race. But the competition was held and the views played well on television as athletes cycled and ran by Paris’ finest attractions.
“We’re lucky enough to have probably the most beautiful venue of any race in the Olympics,” gold medalist Alex Yee of Britain said.
It was all part of an ambitious plan to clean up the long-polluted Seine, spending 1.4 billion euros ($1.5 billion) in infrastructure improvements. A few swim practice sessions needed to be scratched and the men’s race pushed back a day due to water quality and held after the women’s race.
“I didn’t think the Seine was that dirty (Wednesday),” said French triathlete Léo Bergere, who won the bronze medal. “Big cities always have to deal with the pollution. Today they managed to deliver.”
PARIS (AP) —
