Olympic organizers canceled part of a triathlon training session on the Seine River scheduled for Saturday, saying heavy rain had probably made the waterway too polluted for swimming, reports UNN citing AFP.
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Paris 2024 organizers announced in a statement that only the running and cycling elements of the mixed triathlon relay will take place.
Training was canceled due to “heavy rainfall over the past two nights, which has been particularly intense upstream from Paris, and the expected decline in water quality as a result.
French authorities have invested 1.4 billion euros ($1.5 billion) over the past decade to clean up the Seine, including major new water treatment plants and storage facilities in and around Paris.
However, heavy rains continue to overwhelm the city's underground drains and sewer system, resulting in the discharge of untreated sewage into the waterway.
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Clean water was a major topic of discussion at the Paris Games, as water contamination led to a 24-hour postponement of Tuesday's men's triathlon.
Both men and women finally dove into the Seine on Wednesday after pollution levels were “rated as adequate”.
The weather during the Paris Games was extremely capricious, changing from a heat wave to a deluge, especially during the opening ceremony, which was marred by torrential rain.