Olympics 2024- Men's Triathlon Postponed Due to Unsafe Levels of Fecal Matter in Seine River

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The 2024 Olympic organizers are dealing with a real stink. 

The men's triathlon was postponed after the conditions in Paris' Seine River were deemed unsafe for the athletes. 

The World Triathlon released a statement on July 30, sharing that after a meeting on water quality, the men's triathlon had been postponed from its planned start time of 8 a.m. that same day. 

The event was rescheduled to July 31 at 10:45 a.m. shortly after the women's triathlon is set to take place that morning. A contingency plan is also in place for an August 2 makeup date. 

"Paris 2024 and World Triathlon reiterate that their priority is the health of the athletes," the statement read. 

The World Triathlon also explained that the rain Paris experienced on July 26 and 27 contributed to the insufficient quality of the water calling it "beyond our control." 

Noting that the rescheduled men's triathlon is "subject to the forthcoming water tests," the World Triathlon shared that competing athletes are being provided "real-time updates on the situation." 

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The city of Paris spent about $1.5 billion to clean up the Seine River ahead of the 2024 Olympics, NBC News previously reported. These efforts included an antiquated sewer system meant to hold the overflow from rainwater. 

To show the river was ready for the international athletes, Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo went for a public test swim on July 17. 

However, water testing, which took place from July 17 to 23, showed that there were spiked levels of E. coli—an indicator of fecal matter—at the Pont Alexandre III bridge, the start and finish point of the triathlon events. The highest levels recorded were at least double what is considered acceptable by World Triathlon, NBC News reported. 

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If swimmers ingest water with unsafe levels of fecal matter, it can lead to gastrointestinal disease.

Prior to the news of the rescheduled men's triathlon, Olympic organizers canceled swim training for triathlon events due to the Seine River conditions. 

Other events that could be impacted by the water quality include the mixed relay triathlon and marathon swimming events, which are scheduled for August 5, 8 and 9, respectively. 

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