Paris 2024 president Tony Estanguet remains “confident” that the River Seine can be used for the Olympics this summer, despite recent water quality tests indicating it still fails to meet standards.
The Paris mayor’s office released the latest test results, which revealed that E. Coli levels remain above the upper limits set by sports federations.
On June 18, E. Coli levels were found to be ten times higher than the acceptable limit and did not drop below the threshold of 1,000 colony-forming units per 100 millilitres (cfu/ml) established by the World Triathlon Federation.
The mayor’s office stated that “water quality remains degraded due to unfavorable hydrological conditions, limited sunshine, below-average seasonal temperatures, and upstream pollution.”
The Olympics commence on July 26, with the men’s and women’s triathlon events scheduled for July 30 and 31, and the mixed event on August 5.
The Seine is also set to host marathon swimming on August 8 and 9, and the Para-triathlon event during the Paralympics, which begin on August 28.
“We are still confident with the delivery of the competitions in the River Seine,” said Estanguet.
“We knew from the beginning that the plan that we decided was really aligned with good conditions at the end of July. Now we are entering the final lap and the good zone.”
Heavy rain in the days leading up to events could increase bacteria levels in the water.
In August, water quality issues led to the cancellation of the Open Water Swimming World Cup and the swimming leg of the World Triathlon Para Cup, both test events for the 2024 Games. However, the World Triathlon test event proceeded later that month.
Organizers report that around €1.4 billion (£1.2 billion) is being invested in a regeneration project to make the Seine safe for swimming. This includes constructing a rainwater storage basin to help reduce pollution risks.
The Olympics’ opening ceremony is set to be the first held outside a stadium, with over 10,000 athletes expected to sail along a 6km stretch of the River Seine on about 160 barges.
However, French President Emmanuel Macron has stated that the ceremony could be relocated if the security risk is deemed too high.
Meanwhile, due to unusually strong currents, organizers canceled the first full practice session for the ceremony on Monday.