The Paris Olympics organising committee has revealed its contingency plans for open water events if the Seine is unfit for swimming.
The triathlon and swimming marathon are due to take place in the river that runs through the French capital, but high levels of E. coli have been detected in recent weeks, suggesting the events may not go ahead as planned.
Organizers said Friday that alternative solutions are in place. The two events, scheduled near the Alexander III Bridge on July 30 and August 5, could be postponed by a few days if conditions are not suitable.
In the worst case scenario, if heavy rains were to affect the current and increase bacteria levels, the triathlon could be changed to a duathlon, without the swimming portion.
The swimming marathon could be moved to the Stade nautique de Vaires-sur-Marne in the greater Paris region, which will already host the rowing and canoeing competitions. This stadium can accommodate more than 15,000 spectators.
Organizers are confident, however, that the quality of the Seine’s water will meet standards, as it has improved in recent days. The latest reports on the quality of the Seine’s water, published by Paris City Hall, attribute the recent improvements to the sunnier weather and warmer temperatures of the past week.
“We observed that the results of last week would have allowed us to hold these events in the Seine on seven of the last nine days,” the organizers said.
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