In the Paralympic triathlon competition, Max Gelhaar clinches the second-place prize.
Triathlete Max Gelhaar snags a silver medal at the Paralympics. Despite leading in the first two disciplines, a competitor from Spain ramped up their game. Yet again, the Seine brought issues, this time related to water quality.
Max Gelhaar kicked off the Paralympic Games in Paris with a silver medal in the triathlon. The 26-year-old clocked a time of 1:08:43 in the 750m swim, 20km cycle, and 5km run, placing 38 seconds behind Spanish world champion Daniel Molina in the PTS3 class. This achievement marked a significant milestone for Gelhaar, who had previously secured three third-place finishes and one second-place title at world championships.
"I bagged silver, not missed out on gold," Gelhaar commented. "The race was intense from the get-go. It was a mad scramble in the water." He was ultimately "quite content" with the end result. Gelhaar, who competes with spastic hemiparesis, exited the water in fourth place but managed to lead on the bike. It was Molina who eventually overtook him during the run. Champion flag-bearer Martin Schulz will take to the course later today (12:20), with five other German triathletes competing near the Pont Alexandre III. Schulz had previously bagged the sole German medal in Rio and Tokyo.
Events postponed due to poor water quality
The events were postponed on Sunday due to poor water quality. Heavy rain on Friday was followed by a short-lived thunderstorm and a heavy downpour in the late evening hour on Saturday. The men's race at the Olympic triathlon had to be delayed due to poor water quality. Following the open water races, several athletes reported feeling nauseous and even vomiting.
In recent years, the French government has allocated around 1.4 billion euros towards cleaning up the Seine. This included connecting numerous households to the sewage system, which previously discharged their wastewater directly into the river and its tributaries. A significant overflow basin was also constructed in Paris to prevent the sewage system from overflowing into the Seine during heavy rain.
Gelhaar's silver medal win at the Paralympics marks his best finish in a major competition. Despite the setbacks in the water quality of the Seine, the Paralympic Triathlon events managed to proceed, showcasing the resilience of the athletes participating.
