It was over breakfast, early this morning of July 30, that the French athletes learned the news: the triathlon event, whose swimming was to take place in the Seine, was finally postponed to this Wednesday, July 31 for “health reasons”. A hard blow for the French team, who had been hearing for several days the organizers repeat their “confidence” that the competition in the river would take place this Tuesday – despite the cancellation of two training sessions on July 28 and 29. While possible rain is expected this Tuesday evening, and the event could be postponed again to August 2, or even canceled and transformed into a “duathlon”, the national technical director (DTN) of the French Triathlon Federation, Benjamin Maze, confided to L’Express “the disappointment” and the “very upset emotions” of the athletes this morning, but assured that his team is also “prepared for all scenarios”. Interview.
L’Express: The French triathletes learned of the postponement of the competition early this Tuesday morning. What state of mind were they in after this announcement?
Benjamin Maze: We got the news in the middle of breakfast, when the race was scheduled for 8 o’clock. It was around 4 o’clock in the morning, they were expecting to compete, and were therefore very disappointed by this postponement… We had to accept some very upset emotions, let’s say. But we are used to dealing with this type of hazard: you have to let the emotions out, make room for anger if it is there, take five or ten minutes to really moan about the weather, then once that’s done, get into combat mode. They went back to bed to save an hour or two of sleep, and understood the challenge: when you are a high-level athlete, there is no room for irritation and anger. You have to quickly remobilize, to give the best of yourself tomorrow. You have to tell yourself that this resilience can also be an advantage over other foreign athletes who would let themselves be overcome by annoyance and frustration.
The program for this day of July 30 has certainly been greatly disrupted…
When we heard the news, the athletes sent a final little text message to their contact for the management of relatives and families, so as not to stress out about the presence or absence of a girlfriend, a mother or brothers and sisters in the stands… Some were already in the area, or getting ready to go there, but we can’t do anything about it: it’s not up to the athletes to find solutions to these hazards. Then they went to rest, and were all present at the 10:30 training session this morning. They will have a training day like any other.
On Sunday and Monday, reconnaissance training in the Seine was also cancelled for health reasons. What are the consequences of these successive cancellations for the athletes’ sporting performances?
For French triathletes, there will be no impact, since we had chosen not to carry out any swimming reconnaissance for these Games in the last few days. The best swimming reconnaissance we were able to do was a year ago, at the World Triathlon Olympic Test Event, where the French had also achieved some very good performances. In the meantime, we have very strong relationships with the French Swimming Federation and the National School of Bridges and Roads to know the movements and flow of the water in real time, and we are also working with the Sailing Federation to best understand the weather reports and try to prepare as much as possible for what could happen in the coming days.
What impact does this morning’s postponement have on the mental condition of the athletes?
A competition at the Olympics can be played out mentally, and we are well aware of that. Since the beginning of training for these Games, we have paid particular attention to psychological preparation: each athlete is monitored by mental coaches or psychologists, who work precisely on their ability to be psychologically mobilized at crucial moments in the competitions. They are prepared for weather and technical hazards, and are aware of the different scenarios. Given the level of the athletes, we cannot allow ourselves to be surprised by this type of announcement: they are trained to be agile and flexible, and to readjust accordingly.
In the event of a new postponement or even cancellation of the triathlon – which would then be transformed into a “duathlon” – how do you think French athletes would react?
There is already a first scenario, which is that of a new postponement. Tomorrow morning, around 3:30 or 4 o’clock, we will have confirmation of whether or not the event will be maintained by the Federation. If all goes well, there will be a women’s triathlon at 8 o’clock, and the men’s at 10:45. Otherwise, there will be a new postponement of the competition on August 2 – and given the investment for the swimmability of the Seine, we are still confident that the triathlon will take place. Today, the French team is not focusing on the possibility of a duathlon, it is focusing on tomorrow and August 2, possibly.
Nobody wants a “duathlon”, obviously, and nobody wants an Olympic triathlon champion title with an asterisk, explaining that it was in fact a “duathlon”… Even if it is legally permitted, it is not desirable. Especially since we have very successful French triathletes in the swimming part, who can put all their weight into this event to get the best performances out of it.
Are this postponement of the competition and the countless controversies over the swimmability of the Seine a first in the history of the Olympic Games?
Such a postponement is indeed a first, but if the events take place tomorrow, it will remain only a small detail in the great history of the Games. On the other hand, on the subjects of swimmability, the athletes have experienced much worse, and are starting to be frustrated by questions on the subject! Honestly, the quality of the water in the Seine is among the best swimming conditions in triathlon that we have ever known, compared to the Olympic Games in Japan in Tokyo Bay for example, or that of the world championships in Sunderland, in the United Kingdom in 2023, where around fifty athletes were sick. At the European championships in Madrid, last year, the triathlon was transformed into a “duathlon” because of the quality of the waters in Madrid… The athletes are therefore used to, and prepared for these difficulties.
.