(Bloomberg) -- Paris Games organizers canceled a second day of water training for the triathlon because of elevated levels of pollution after recent heavy rain.
River training on Monday morning was ruled out because water quality levels in the Seine “did not provide sufficient guarantees to allow the event to be held,” World Triathlon said in a statement. Paris 2024 and World Triathlon are “confident” the conditions will improve in time for the men’s event on Tuesday, they added.
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Paris organizers have been determined to make the river one of the stars of the Games. Thousands of athletes paraded along the Seine as part of the opening ceremony on Friday and the men’s and women’s triathlon, as well as distance swimming events, are supposed to take place in the Seine.
But heavy rain that persisted into Saturday evening has upended preparations. Despite some €1.4 billion ($1.5 billion) earmarked for the river’s clean-up, a streak of rainy days can lead the city’s sewage system to overflow, bringing waste water and bacteria into the Seine.
The weather forecast is for sunshine on Monday, with a risk of storms Tuesday night through Thursday night, according to Météo France. The women’s triathlon is scheduled for Wednesday with distance swimming events set for next week.
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