- Uncertainty and dissatisfaction: Is triathlon becoming an Olympic fiasco?
Concerns over the Olympic Triathlon competitions continue - and frustration in Paris is growing. Unlike hoped, the men's race had to be postponed because the Seine river was still not clean enough for swimming. Only about four hours before the race scheduled for Tuesday morning at 8:00 AM, the teams received the news from the organizers. "This is far from ideal. That's not how you want the Olympics to be," said Martin Veith, the German federation's sports director.
Originally, the organizers had planned a spectacular event with 1500 meters of swimming in the Seine, which had been cleaned at great expense. However, this ambitious project now threatens to become a fiasco: Due to still high concentrations of coliform bacteria in the water, no training was possible; now the values for the first race day did not meet the health requirements. The men are now scheduled to start on Wednesday at 10:45 AM - the women's race remains as planned at 8:00 AM.
"While the decision is understandable, it's maximally unfortunate for the athletes," Veith lamented. Lasse Luhrs, one of the three German starters, said he was awake at 4:00 AM, had already packed his bag for the competition, and was about to have breakfast when the news of the provisional cancellation came. "Now we have to think on our feet as quickly as possible," said the Bonn resident. "But it doesn't help to get angry about it for too long."
The new start time - 10:45 AM instead of 8:00 AM - could become a major challenge. "We have to prepare for very warm conditions, maybe even heat," predicted national coach Thomas Moeller. The International Triathlon Union announced that after consultations with meteorologists, they expect the temperatures to still be in line with regulations even late in the morning.
Ex-world champion: Exceptional mental situation
Lasse Luhrs said matter-of-factly: "That's just how it is. The situation is the same for everyone." But it's not easy. "I don't think anyone will be unaffected," said former world champion Daniel Unger (46), who is now the federal support point coach in Saarbrücken, to the German Press Agency. "But it's true that it's difficult for some to deal with the situation. The tension is at its peak at the Olympics. It's an exceptional situation, also mentally."
Due to the murky Seine, the triathlon is already under such scrutiny that there's barely any talk of sport. From Germany, Dagmar Freitag, the long-standing chairwoman of the Bundestag Sports Committee, wrote on the X platform: "Who thinks about the athletes in the planning?"
Some are already haunted by the worst-case scenario: If the daily microbiological investigations show that it's still not possible to swim in the Seine on Wednesday, Friday is still in the calendar as a backup date. For many athletes whose training was precisely tailored to Tuesday as the competition date, this could be a significant setback.
From the German team, for example, Tim Hellwig, Laura Lindemann, and Nina Eim came directly from high-altitude training camp to Paris to be in top shape for the long-known race days. National coach Moeller told the dpa that he hopes the athletes could still show their best performance even on Friday if necessary.
Meteorologists announce new rain
As the very last option - in case there's still no satisfactory improvement in the water values on Friday - the regulations allow for a duathlon consisting of cycling and running instead of a triathlon. "Then we'd have an Olympic champion who would always be accompanied by a 'Well, yeah'," said Moeller.
The organizers are striving to hold the event with the three disciplines at the heart of Paris. That's why the men's race has been postponed by only one day, not directly to Friday as previously announced. For Tuesday and Wednesday evening, thunderstorms are forecast in Paris. These rains could significantly degrade the water quality.
Despite the postponement, Paris' frustration with the Olympic Triathlon competition continues. Lasse Luhrs, a German athlete, and his team were preparing for the race on Tuesday morning at 8:00 AM, but received the news from the organizers four hours prior, due to the Seine river's water not meeting the required health standards.
