Triathlon-Icon Frodeno warns against jumping into dirty Seine
Will the Olympic triathlon be just a Duathlon instead? German triathlon icon Jan Frodeno warns against swimming in the polluted Seine. He also reminds us of his wife's fate.
Former German triathlon star Jan Frodeno expresses concerns about the health of Olympic athletes due to the poor water quality of the Seine. He knows that "the athletes would prefer it and take the risk to have a triathlon instead of a duathlon as an event," said the 43-year-old. However, his wife Emma "had to retire from her career due to water contamination at a World Cup at the age of 33," and no one would wish that on anyone.
Emma Frodeno won Olympic gold in 2008 in Beijing under her maiden name Snowsill, just like her husband. In 2014, she retired due to swimming in polluted water. The training of triathletes in Paris had to be canceled on both Sunday and Monday due to heavy rainfall. The water quality limits were exceeded during tests.
There is a possibility that the men's race scheduled for Tuesday (8 a.m. on ARD and Eurosport, as well as in the liveticker at ntv.de) could be moved to Friday. In the worst-case scenario, the swimming portion could be completely canceled. Then, a duathlon (running, swimming, running) would be held instead. "A duathlon would probably have a medal with a star forever, even if the absolute favorites would be the same," said Frodeno.
If swimming is possible, the currently strong current of the Seine would have an impact on the race. "It would probably be fair, it just makes it uncertain for the athletes," explained Frodeno.
Despite Jan Frodeno's hopes for a triathlon at the Olympic Games 2024 in Paris, concerns arise due to the polluted Seine. If water quality issues persist, the triathlon might be replaced with a duathlon, as an unfortunate incident with his wife Emma, a former Olympic champion, occurred due to water contamination.
