The organisers of the Paris Olympics are facing problems because of the severely polluted Seine River.
It is so bad that it may be unsafe for athletes to swim in the river.
A group in France that monitors water quality has already said it is worried about how dirty the Seine is, even after a lot of money was spent trying to clean it up.
Tony Estanguet, who’s in charge of the Paris 2024 Olympics, says they have backup plans in case it rains a lot and makes the water even more polluted with E. coli bacteria.
A few strains of the common E. coli bacteria can cause severe stomach cramps, bloody diarrhoea and vomiting.
If the water is deemed too dangerous, officials might have to cancel the swimming leg of the triathlon and turn the event into a duathlon for the first time in Olympic history.
A duathlon would include cycling for 40km and running for 10km.
The organisers are also thinking about moving the dates of the triathlon and other swimming races to later in the Olympics calendar if the condition of the river improves.
The races are planned for the end of July and the beginning of August. But if the water isn’t safe, they might wait a few days to see if conditions improve.
The Daily Mail reported that Estanguet said ditching swimming and turning the event into a duathlon is not something they want to do.
But if they have to, they will.
Compiled by staff writer
Pictured above: Paris 2024.
Image source: Paris 2024/X.
