Hours before the competition began, Olympic officials announced early Wednesday morning that a water quality test showed the Seine was ready for triathletes.
A day after the men’s races were postponed, the men’s and women’s triathletes competed back-to-back on Wednesday, with the swim leg taking place in the iconic body of water where swimming has been illegal for a century due to water quality concerns.
While the competition took place normally on Wednesday, a Canadian triathlete was visibly not feeling well after the swim.
The decision to keep the Seine swim for the triathlon competitions is a major victory for the city, Olympic organizers and athletes. Officials have embarked on an ambitious plan, including 1.4 billion euros ($1.5 billion) in infrastructure improvements, to clean up the long-polluted Seine and have insisted that the swim portion of the triathlon and next week’s marathon swims can be held safely in the river.
Organizers said early Wednesday that recent tests of the water showed it met quality standards.
The presence of bacteria in the river delayed the men’s race, originally scheduled for Tuesday, instead of Wednesday, while the women’s competition was scheduled. Test events intended to allow athletes to familiarize themselves with the course had already been cancelled for the same reason on Sunday and Monday.
