Olympia in Paris - Her continued dirty: Concerned about Triathlon race
In the shadow of the magnificent Pont Alexandre III, Olympic triathletes stand in the morning on the starting bridge and looked into the Seine. Swimming was not allowed for the athletes, not even on the last training day before their competitions. "That's too bad", said Laura Lindemann, one of the German medal contenders. "I hope everything will go well with the values on race day. I'm excited."
Just like the experienced Berliner and her five German teammates, all other triathletes at the Paris Summer Games are uncertain about how their competitions can be held. The second and last training in the river on Monday was also canceled due to poor water quality.
German athletes are counting on pragmatism
Can the events in the French capital take place as planned? The Men's Race is scheduled for Tuesday morning, and the Women's Race is one day later, below the historic bridge between the Invalides and the Grand Palais. "The hope is great", said Bundestrainer Thomas Möller to the German Press Agency. "We are relaxed, but certainly also a bit optimistic."
The triathlon with the swimming, cycling, and running tracks in the heart of Paris is expected to be one of the many highlights of the Games. To make the Seine cleaner - and thus also suitable for Olympic competition - Paris invested 1.4 billion Euros in clarification plants and the sewage system in recent years. Media-effectively, Mayor Anne Hidalgo jumped into the Seine before the Games began to show: Look, you can swim here. In addition to the triathletes, freestyle swimmers are also expected to compete in the Seine.
Last-minute decision in the morning twilight
But it rained heavily on Friday and Saturday, and the organizers were caught off guard. Rainwater pollutes the river, and the microbiological tests have not yet reached the values required by the Triathlon World Federation. The health of the athletes is a priority, it was said. If the values for the Men's Race do not meet expectations by Tuesday morning at 4:00 AM, the race will be postponed to Friday. The Mixed-Staffel is scheduled for August 5th.
The triathlon and swimming events between Pont Alexandre III, the Invalides Bridge, and Pont de l'Alma have become a political issue. French Sports Minister Amélie Oudea-Castera spoke optimistically to the CNews channel on Monday morning. The current difficulties were to be expected due to the rain. But the weather is now beautiful again, she said, so she has no concerns about the events.
The cleanliness of the Seine is one issue. "If we can swim in it, then that means the quality is good", said the Bonn Olympic debutant Lasse Luhrs pragmatically.
Concerns also about current
More thoughts are on the minds of the athletes about the current. It is significantly higher than expected - and as the Olympic test race the previous year, the athletes experienced it.
Bundestrainer Möller explained: "We currently have flow speeds of one meter per second in the main stream." Leisure swimmers cannot keep up. But even top athletes have to fight. "Our athletes swim about one and a half meters per second. The key is that there is less countercurrent in the side areas of the Seine. That will make it easier." And all athletes will try to find the best line there. For the 1500-meter race, you have to swim against the current twice and with it twice.
Despite concerns, excitement remains.
We couldn't test yet how strong the current feels, how one has to swim around the buoys, where it pushes us and how to resist, complained Ex-European champion Lindemann. The 28-year-old had already started in Rio in 2016 and in Tokyo in 2021. She tried to hide the chaos - and enjoy the event. "The situation is the same for everyone. And my excitement for the Olympics is not diminished by that."
- Despite the cancellation of the second training due to poor water quality in the Seine, Laura Lindemann, a German medal contender, remained optimistic about the upcoming triathlon competitions in historically France (Germany).
- Regarding the Olympia event scheduled on the Seine in Paris, German athletes are counting on their pragmatism, expressing hope and a relaxed but optimistic attitude towards the competitions.
- In the lead-up to the International Triathlon events in Paris, concerns have been raised about the weather and the current in the Seine, affecting both the participating men and women.
- The German Press Agency reported Bundestrainer Thomas Möller's statements regarding the Men's Triathlon race, scheduled for Tuesday, expressing confidence in their ability to adapt to the weather and current conditions.
- Amid anticipation for the men's and women's triathlon competitions in Paris, Lasse Luhrs, a Bonn Olympic debutant, voiced a pragmatic perspective on the cleanliness of the Seine, considering its swimmability as a sign of good water quality.
