First failure to test the Paris Olympics and the water of the Seine: the open water swimming competition scheduled for this weekend had to be entirely canceled on Sunday due to pollution of the river, but the authorities ensure that they remain confident in view of the games. After a final night meeting between the organizing committee (Cojo), the city of Paris, the sports federations, among others, to study the latest analyses, the decision was made not to dive the swimmers of the Pont Alexandre III, right in the center of Paris, for this World Cup event.
The cause: the heavy rains that fell earlier this week, which overflowed the sewers and brought the wastewater back into the river. “We are all disappointed this (Sunday) morning, first for the athletes and for the organization of the event. It was played a few hours away”, reacted Pierre Rabadan, Sports Assistant, Olympic Games and Seine de the town hall of Paris, in front of the empty pontoons.
While the weather is gradually improving, he assured that, according to real-time readings from the town hall, the quality of the water in the Seine was “good” this Sunday morning. But the decision was taken on the basis of an analysis of the bacterium Escherichia coli dating back 24 hours, with a concentration which was still beyond the limit threshold: at 1,300 CFU/100 ml where the international swimming federation (World Aquatics) imposes a rate of less than 1,000. Since Thursday, the French Swimming Federation (FFN), in concert with World Aquatics, pointed to water quality “below acceptable standards”, and had canceled training before postponing the women’s event from Saturday to Sunday. .
“Health, first priority”
World Aquatics said on Sunday “disappointed that the quality of the water is leading to the cancellation of this World Cup”. “But the health of athletes must always be our first priority,” said Husain Al-Musallam, its president, quoted by the press release issued early Sunday morning. For four days the Cojo, the city of Paris, or even the prefecture of the Ile-de-France region have stressed that the rainfall is “exceptional” for the season. The latter had nevertheless taken a decree on July 27 to authorize the competition in principle, based on 42 water analysis results from June and July.
“The quality of the water will continue to be carefully monitored, in the confident hope – based on current weather forecasts – that top athletes will be able to compete in the Seine, during the Triathlon Test Event and Para Triathlon scheduled from August 17 to 20”, explained the organizing committee. A new disappointment in ten days would be worrying for the organizers but also for the city of Paris whose mayor Anne Hidalgo promises future swimming in the Seine for 2025. This Sunday morning, despite the disappointed looks, both the Cojo and the town hall of Paris and the prefecture were confident for this next attempt.
“Plan B? The Seine”
The scenario of heavy rains was feared by all the players and, with a view to the Games, several projects are underway to try to counter this risk, such as the Austerlitz basin, still under construction, which will make it possible to store rainwater (50,000 m3), and will operate in 2024. But beware, warned, in diplomatic language World Aquatics: “we must continue to work with Paris 2024 and local authorities to ensure that solid contingency plans are in place for the next year”.
Asked whether the organizing committee was going to review its plans for the Olympics, and plan a plan B, Brigitte Légaré, head of competitions in central Paris, explained on Sunday that the competition in the Seine would be held at the end of the Olympics. (July 26-August 11), August 8 and 9, and that it would be possible to postpone it by “one day” if necessary. “With the historic episode (of precipitation) that we have just had, we are going to look at what we have put in place, if there are things that we can change, improve,” he said. she argued.
Is a plan B possible elsewhere than in the Seine? “No, plan B is that we are going to swim in the Seine, assured Ms. Légaré. I am confident, I have been working with the authorities for four years on the subject here in Paris and I see the evolution, we are going get there.”