Current:Home > BackParis Olympics cancels triathlon training session because Seine too dirty-DB Wealth Institute B2 Expert Reviews
Paris Olympics cancels triathlon training session because Seine too dirty
View Date:2024-12-23 23:02:47
Editor's note: Follow the latest Olympics live results, medal count and updates for Sunday, July 28.
PARIS − The first swimming training session for triathletes competing at the Paris Olympics was cancelled Sunday because of pollution in the river Seine.
Whether the Seine will be clean enough to host Olympic triathlon and open-water swimming events has been a much debated topic at the Games. Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo took a highly publicized dip in the Seine last week in a bid to ease fears. Organizers have spent more than $1.5 billion trying to overcome the river's high levels of E.coli bacteria.
The river was deemed clean enough for the swimming competitions following a series of tests in earlier this month but heavy rainfall in France's capital over the past 48 hours appears to have set that back.
In a joint statement Paris 2024 and World Triathlon said they were "confident that water quality will return to below limits before the start of the triathlon competitions," which get underway Tuesday.
2024 Olympic medals: Who is leading the medal count? Follow along as we track the medals for every sport.
The bike and running training sessions will go ahead as planned Sunday.
In a briefing with reporters on Saturday, Scott Schnitzspahn, the U.S. Olympic triathlon team's "high performance" general manager, said he was getting updates on the Seine's water quality each day at 4 a.m. He said there is a Plan B if the river tests results don't improve. Plan B is delaying the triathlon by one day.
Plan C is the swim part of the event gets dropped altogether.
American triathlete Seth Rider revealed he has an unconventional tactic for preparing for the Seine's E. coli levels.
"We actually raced here last year in the test event," he said. "I don't think anyone got sick after that, which can't be said about all the races we do. In preparation for this race, I knew there was going to be some E.coli exposure. So I've been trying to increase my E.coli threshold by exposing myself to a bit of E.coli in day-to-day life."
One of the ways Rider claimed he's been doing that is not washing his hands after he goes to the bathroom.
The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.
Follow Kim Hjelmgaard on social media @khjelmgaard
veryGood! (71)
Related
- Mike Tyson impresses crowd during workout ahead of Jake Paul fight
- US safety agency moves probe of Dodge Journey fire and door lock failure a step closer to a recall
- Horoscopes Today, August 2, 2024
- California dad missing for nearly 2 weeks after mysterious crash into street pole
- Vegas Sphere reports revenue decline despite hosting UFC 306, Eagles residency
- Olympic badminton player offers Snoop Dogg feedback, along with insights about sport
- Cardi B asks court to award her primary custody of her children with Offset, divorce records show
- For Marine Species Across New York Harbor, the Oyster Is Their World
- UFC 309: Jon Jones vs. Stipe Miocic fight card, odds, how to watch, date
- 'Depraved monster': Ex-FBI agent, Alabama cop sentenced to life in child sex-abuse case
Ranking
- Nicky Hilton Shares Her Christmas Plans With Paris, the Secret To Perfect Skin & More Holiday Gift Picks
- Hall of Fame Game winners, losers: Biggest standouts with Bears vs. Texans called early
- USA's Casey Kaufhold, Brady Ellison win team archery bronze medal at Paris Olympics
- World record watch? USA hurdler Grant Holloway seeks redemption in Paris
- World War II veteran reflects on life as he turns 100
- Hyundai recalls nearly 50,000 of its newer models for airbag issues
- 2 men sentenced for sexual assaults on passengers during separate flights to Seattle
- Meet the painter with the best seat at one of Paris Olympics most iconic venues
Recommendation
-
25 monkeys caught but more still missing after escape from research facility in SC
-
Deadly force justified in fatal shooting of North Carolina man who killed 4 officers, official says
-
Inside Robby Starbuck's anti-DEI war on Tractor Supply, John Deere and Harley-Davidson
-
What is Brat Summer? Charli XCX’s Feral Summer Aesthetic Explained
-
What’s the secret to growing strong, healthy nails?
-
World record watch? USA hurdler Grant Holloway seeks redemption in Paris
-
Judge suspends Justin Timberlake’s driver’s license over DWI arrest in New York
-
Appeals court: Separate, distinct minority groups can’t join together to claim vote dilution