Men’s Triathlon Postponed at Paris 2024 Olympics Over Concerns of Water Quality in Seine

Officials said on Tuesday, July 30, that tests on the water quality levels "did not provide sufficient guarantees to allow the event to be held"

The men’s triathlon at the Paris 2024 Olympics has been rescheduled.

On Tuesday, July 30, World Triathlon announced on X (formerly known as Twitter) that the competition had been postponed due to concerns over the water quality in the River Seine.

Officials confirmed in the statement that the men’s triathlon, scheduled for Tuesday, July 30, at 8 a.m. local time, had been pushed back to Wednesday.

“Considering the latest weather information, it has been decided to schedule the men’s triathlon event on 31 July at 10H45,” the statement read. “The women’s triathlon is due to take place the same day at 8am.”

Officials added that the competitions will be “subject to the forthcoming water tests complying with the established world triathlon thresholds for swimming.”

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

“The original contingency day also remains in place for August 2, for further considerations,” the statement continued.

"Paris 2024 and World Triathlon reiterate that their priority is the health of the athletes," they added. "The tests carried out in the Seine today revealed water quality levels that did not provide sufficient guarantees to allow the event to be held."

Olympics, Paris 2024, triathlon Seine
Police officers ride along the River Seine on Tuesday, July 30.

Marijan Murat/picture alliance via Getty Images

The PEOPLE Puzzler crossword is here! How quickly can you solve it? Play now!

This news comes after the Olympic triathlon swimming practice was canceled for the second day in a row on Monday.

Mayor of Paris Anne Hidalgo is seen swimming in the river Seine on July 17, 2024
Mayor of Paris Anne Hidalgo swimming in the River Seine on July 17, 2024 in Paris, France.

Pierre Suu/Getty

“The tests carried out in the Seine yesterday revealed water quality levels that in the view of the international federation, World Triathlon, did not provide sufficient guarantees to allow the event to be held,” a press release obtained by PEOPLE read. “This is due to rain that has fallen on Paris on 26 and 27 July and the impact it had on the Seine river."

Officials said that although the water quality had improved in the last hours, “the readings at some point of the swim course are still above the acceptable limits.”

Earlier this month, PEOPLE reported that Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo swam in the River Seine ahead of the Olympic Games to prove the safety of the water quality.

Hidalgo had previously led a €1.4 billion plan to clean up the river ahead of the opening ceremony last week, according to NBC News.

To learn more about all the Olympic and Paralympic hopefuls, come to people.com to check out ongoing coverage before, during and after the games. And sign up for Going for Gold, our Olympics newsletter, to get the biggest stories from the Games delivered straight to your inbox. Watch the Paris Olympics and Paralympics, beginning July 26, on NBC and Peacock.

Comments
All comments are subject to our Community Guidelines. PEOPLE does not endorse the opinions and views shared by readers in our comment sections.

Related Articles