At the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics last weekend, nearly 10,500 athletes from 184 countries floated down the Seine River in pouring rain, American sports commentator Mike Tirico declare E. coli levels in the famous river were “too high” for the swimmers to compete if the meet had been scheduled for that day.
Paris knows that the Seine poses some serious health risks—swimming in the river has been illegal for more than a hundred years. After a spring of unusual rainfall, tests of the river water found levels of E. coli that were more than 20 times higher than what World Triathlon considers acceptable. but Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo remains Jumped Earlier this month, they entered the Seine in an effort to convince people the waterway was in good condition. But a small dip in the water is much different than competing in the water for hours.
Paris hasn’t hosted the Olympics in 100 years maximum investment The city being built for the global event isn’t a new stadium or arena, but a $1.5 billion underground tunnel and water storage facility designed to purify the Seine for use in triathlons and open water swimming events. What if this bizarre new system designed to clean up one of the world’s dirtiest rivers doesn’t work? Well, Paris sees no need for a plan B other than postponing and possibly changing the triathlon to a triathlon.
This is not the first time water conditions have caused controversy during the Olympics. Time and time again, countries prioritize picturesque or TV-friendly locations without considering the real health risks that exist in many of the world’s famous waterways. In 2016, Rio de Janeiro wanted swimmers to stay away from Copacabana Beach, and during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, swimmers competed at Odaiba Marine Park — both sites with the greatest sewage runoff for each future city.
In Paris, one athlete is solving problems alone unwashed hands——American triathlete Seth Rider believes he can “increase[ing] mine coli threshold” and not washing hands after using the toilet. Other athletes have improve They take probiotics to strengthen the intestinal tract’s ability to fight infection.
Olympic triathletes canceled training on Sunday, July 28 and Monday, July 29, because E. coli levels remain too high. This morning the first men’s triathlon scheduled to take place on the Seine was postponed.
The 2028 Los Angeles Olympics plan to hold outdoor swimming events in Laguna Beach, which currently appears to be safer than the Seine. But the U.S. should still come up with a backup plan that doesn’t involve wasting billions of taxpayer dollars or athletes making questionable health decisions.
