- Water levels fit: Triathlon races can be held in the Seine
The Men's Triathlon at the Paris Olympics can take place a day later than planned. Organizers announced that recent water samples from the Seine now allow the event to go ahead. This means there will be a double event today: the women will start at 8:00 AM with a dive into the Paris river at the Pont Alexander III. The men's race, which was postponed on Tuesday, will follow at 10:45 AM.
There had been concerns about the race in recent days. Heavy rain on Friday and Saturday contaminated the Seine water, with microbiological tests showing that cleanliness limits were exceeded for days. As a result, both planned training sessions for men and women were cancelled, as well as the men's competition initially. Frustration was growing among those involved.
Six Germans to compete in Triathlon at 2024 Olympics
The three German female triathletes Laura Lindemann (Berlin), Lisa Tertsch (Darmstadt) and Nina Eim (Potsdam) will start, along with Tim Hellwig (Saarbrücken), Jonas Schomburg (Hannover) and Lasse Luhrs (Bonn). They will have a short warm-up swim before the race to acclimatize to the water conditions. The current, which is stronger than expected, is likely to pose a challenge for the athletes. After 1500 meters of swimming, there are still 40 kilometers of cycling and 10 kilometers of running to go.
If the water tests had shown an unacceptable value again, the races would likely have been postponed to Friday. There was a risk that swimming would not take place at all, and - according to the regulations - the triathlon would become a duathlon.
Despite the postponement of the men's Triathlon due to contaminated water, six German athletes are still set to participate in the Olympic Games. Laura Lindemann, Lisa Tertsch, Nina Eim, Tim Hellwig, Jonas Schomburg, and Lasse Luhrs will represent Germany in the event, facing the challenging current in the Seine. Fortunately, the water conditions have improved enough for the races to proceed as planned.
