E coli levels pose risk to Paris 2024 triathlon

The president of the Paris 2024 Olympics has admitted that the triathlon competition could be delayed, or the swimming leg even cancelled, if adverse weather conditions have an impact on water quality in the River Seine this summer.

- Sean Ingle

Tony Est anguet said he was proud that more than €1bn (£860m) had been invested to provide safe swimming in the Seine for the fi rst time in a century. But he conceded that the prospect of heavy rain raising levels of the bacteria E coli was one of his “biggest challenges” for the games, which start in just over 100 days.

Estanguet’s comments came on a day where the Surfrider Foundation Europe charity warned of “alarming” bacteria levels in the Seine. It claimed that out of 14 samples taken at the Alexandre III Bridge over a six-month period, all but one showed poor water quality.