Paris Olympics halt marathon swim in Seine over water quality concerns

The organizers of the Paris Olympic Games have canceled another familiarization session for marathon swimming in the Seine. The reason for this decision was likely the questionable quality of the river water. This is the latest instance in recent days.

After the daily meeting regarding the situation in the river, which was attended by representatives of the city and World Aquatics, it was decided that the familiarization session scheduled for Tuesday had been canceled—this was conveyed in the official statement of the international swimming headquarters.

The official reason for this decision has not been given, but the initial statement suggests that the water in the Seine continues to raise doubts among the Olympic Games organizers. Further information on this matter will appear later on Tuesday, August 6. The date of the team leaders' meeting and the coaches' briefing has not been changed either.

This is another problem caused by the water quality in the Seine during the Paris Olympic Games. Due to elevated levels of bacteria in the water, the training session before the swimming stage of the triathlon was canceled, and the men's competition was postponed to another day.

Before the Paris Olympic Games, the authorities of the French capital spent nearly half a billion euros (about $530 million) on renovating the city's sewage systems. It was promised that by the summer of 2025, the water in the Seine would be clean enough for residents to swim in it.

In recent days, it has come to light that triathlete Claire Michel landed in the hospital after the Olympic events due to an E. coli infection. She had been swimming in the Seine a few days earlier. Meanwhile, Tyler Mislawchuk, a Canadian triathlete, revealed that after crossing the finish line of the Seine's swimming stage, he vomited as many as 10 times.