Paris Olympic Organizers Reveal Backup Plans for Swimming in Seine

The organizing committee for the 2024 Olympic Summer Games in Paris has revealed backup plans for open-water events if the Seine River remains unsuitable for swimming due to unsafe levels of E. coli.

Triathlon and marathon swimming events are scheduled to take place in the river but rising levels of bacteria have been detected in recent weeks, raising questions about whether the events could go ahead as planned.

Per the Associated Press, organizers said the triathlon and marathon swimming events, which are scheduled to take place near the Alexander III bridge between July 30 and August 5, could be postponed by several days if conditions are unsafe.

A $1.5 billion investment to improve the water quality has been one of the centerpieces of Paris organizers’ plan for a legacy after the Games.

A statement from the organizers said, “We have full confidence in the work undertaken by the State, the City of Paris and all of the relevant authorities to make the Seine swimmable so that the events can take place as planned. As we have seen in recent days, summer conditions (strong sunshine, high temperatures, long periods without rain) bring about a significant improvement in water quality. We have observed this in the past week with results that would have enabled events to be held in the Seine on seven out of nine days.”

The worst-case scenario for organizers is heavy rains increasing the Seine’s flow and raising bacteria levels. Organizers have also floated the idea of the triathlon being changed to a duathlon, without the swimming portion.

The contingency plan includes the marathon swimming competition relocating to the Vaires-sur-Marne Nautical Stadium in the greater Paris region, which already hosts rowing and canoeing competitions and can accommodate up to 15,000 spectators.

The latest reports on the Seine’s water quality, published by Paris city hall, attributed the significant improvement in bacteria levels to the sunnier weather and warmer temperatures in the French capital last week.

“These results reassure us that the combination of summer weather and the work undertaken to make the Seine swimmable should allow Olympic and Paralympic Games events to be held in the Seine as expected,” organizers said.

The Seine will see Olympic action regardless, however, as the Opening Ceremony is scheduled to float down the river on July 26.