Paris Olympics: Seine wasn’t too polluted for test swimming events, city hall says

Finally, Sena could accept them! The water quality in a Parisian river on Sunday was sufficient to allow a pre-Olympic swimming test canceled due to river pollution, but official test results were not known until Monday, Paris City Hall said.

“The lab result that came in today (Monday) confirmed that on Sunday morning we were under the rapids at all survey points “located on the Olympic route, between the Alexandre III bridge and the Alma bridge,” said sports assistant Pierre Rabadan.

Rain in question

On Sunday, World Aquatics announced the cancellation of the Open Water Swimming World Cup at the same venue, a precursor to the Olympics due to take place there a year later, due to “below acceptable” water quality. standards”, after first rescheduling the day before and canceling a workout two days earlier.

The latest water analysis dated 24 hours from Friday to Saturday set 1300 (cfu/100 ml) for Escherichia coli bacteria, while World Aquatics sets the rate below 1000 UFC per 100 ml for the competition. Q: The incessant rains earlier in the week caused the sewers to overflow and the sewage to re-enter the river.

Instantaneous readings taken by the mayor’s office showed results “below 1000” but “they are not part of the international federation’s analysis process” which is based on laboratory readings known 24 hours later, Pierre Rabadan explained. According to City Hall, those official readings ended up being 911 UFC/100 ml. Thus the “shift in patterns” took over the event, laments Pierre Rabadan.

A new disappointment during the triathlon tests, scheduled for August 17-20, should worry the organizing committee of the Paris Olympics, as well as Mayor Anne Hidalgo, who promises a future swim in the Seine in 2025. avoid dumping wastewater into the river, which occurs in case of heavy rains.