One year before the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, the world triathlon is organizing its “test event” in and around the Seine, from August 17 to 20, with the challenge of qualifying for these Olympic Games for several delegations. But the quality of the capital’s river water, considered ” satisfactory “, will be scrutinized.
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On a course identical to that of the Games next year, the best triathletes in the world are there to secure their qualification for the 2024 Olympic Games. The main national federations have made a good performance in the “test event” qualifying.
After 1,500 m of swimming between the Alexandre III bridge and the Alma bridge, the triathletes will compete over 40 km by bike, then 10 km of running, where they will go up the Avenue des Champs-Élysées in particular.
Only four athletes from the world’s Top 20 men and women will be absent and the two Olympic champions, Norwegian Kristian Blummenfelt and Bermudian Flora Duffy, will be at the start on the Alexandre III bridge.
The water quality will remain under surveillance for the four days
Before throwing themselves into the Seine, everyone will scrutinize the quality of the water. At the beginning of August, the open water swimming events which were to be held there were canceled due to pollution of the river. Water quality has since returned to a satisfactory threshold “Explained the town hall of Paris on Wednesday, specifying that the level of Escherichia coli bacteria had fallen below the maximum regulatory threshold (1,000 CFU per 100 ml). On August 5 and 6, at least 57 people suffered from diarrhea and vomiting after swimming during the World Triathlon Championships stage in Sunderland (United Kingdom), according to health authorities.
” As I heard that the water quality was at the limit, I did not swim this Wednesday morning, testifies the Moroccan Jawad Abdelmoula at the microphone of RFI. I trust the organization, but I would hate to have taken the risk of falling ill before the race. The water quality will remain under surveillance during the four days of competition with daily analyzes in the laboratory and instantaneous measurement tools.
“ The most common infectious risks are those related to bacteria that cause gastroenteritis. There may also be diseases linked to bacteria found in the urine of rodents or farm animals. It is not only the water ingested by the mouth that causes risks, one can also be contaminated by small wounds on the skin. “, explains epidemiologist Éric d’Ortenzio.
As for Paris 2024, Brigitte Légaré, head of competitions in central Paris, reaffirmed that the officials of the Organizing Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games (Cojo) had no doubts: “ Plan B will be the Seine. The Cojo, she explained, is counting on the commissioning of the Austerlitz basin, which will store rainwater, so that the whole world can see athletes swimming in the Seine even in the event of bad weather.
The Seine open for swimming to the general public from 2025? Front line triathletes
Words by Jawad Abdelmoula and Éric d’Ortenzio collected by Arthur Verdelet