Men’s Olympic triathlon is postponed due to concerns over water quality in Paris’ Seine River

men's Olympic triathlon planned for Tuesday has been postponed over concerns about water quality in Paris' Seine River, where swimming portion of race was supposed to take place.

Organizers said y will try to hold men's triathlon Wednesday inste. women's competition is also scheduled on Wednesday, but both are subject to water tests. A risk of storms in forecast for Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings could complicate rescheduling events.

Heavy rains generally cause levels of E. coli and or bacteria in Seine to rise. Paris experienced a downpour during Olympic opening ceremony Friday , with rain continuing into Saturday. swimming portion of training events meant to let triathletes familiarize mselves with course was canceled on both Sunday and Monday because of concerns over water quality.

decision to postpone men's triathlon followed a meeting early Tuesday morning that included sport’s governing body, World Triathlon, its medical team and city officials.

Organizers and city officials h expressed confidence that bacteria levels would improve as skies cleared and temperatures warmed in days that followed, but that apparently wasn't sufficient to ensure athletes' safety.

Paris me an ermous effort to improve water quality in long-polluted Seine so swimming portion of triathlon and marathon swimming event in August could be held in famed river that runs through city center. But bacteria levels have remained in flux.

Daily water quality tests measure levels of fecal bacteria kwn as E. coli, with a safe limit of 900 colony-forming units per 100 milliliters determined by European rules. Monitoring group Eau de Paris releases data each Friday, but it is updated only through previous Tuesday.

High levels of E. coli in water can indicate contamination from sew. Most strains are harmless and some live in intestines of healthy people and animals. But ors can be dangerous. Even a mouthful of contaminated water can le to diarrhea, and germ can cause illnesses such as infections in urinary tract or in intestines.

Efforts to make river suitable for swimming cost 1.4 billion euros ($1.5 billion). y include construction of a giant basin to capture excess rainwater and keep wastewater from flowing into river, revating sewer infrastructure and upgring wastewater treatment plants.

Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo very publicly took a swim in river two weeks ago, along with Paris 2024 chief Tony Estanguet, and top government official for Paris region, Marc Guillaume, along with swimmers from local swimming clubs. Data released last week show that E. coli levels at Bras Marie were at 985 units per 100 milliliters that day, slightly above established threshold.

Or swimming events planned in Seine are triathlon mixed relay on Aug. 5 and women's and men's marathon swimming events on Aug. 8 and Aug. 9. ___