Water dilemmas in Olympic triathlon are nothing new, from stray boats to shark watches to bacteria

Olympic Sports

Water dilemmas in Olympic triathlon are nothing new, from stray boats to shark watches to bacteria

Published: 02 Aug. 2024, 00:22

A view of the Eiffel Tower is seen at the triathlon start on Sunday after training in the Seine was canceled over water quality concerns. [REUTERS/YONHAP]

Contrary to a recent action/horror movie, there are no sharks in the Seine. There was a shark watch, though, at the very first Olympic triathlon in 2000 during the Sydney Games.

At the Olympics, water dilemmas are nothing for triathlon swimming.

A boat once got in the way of an Olympic triathlon , too. And now, two of the last three Summer Games triathlons have dealt water quality concerns swirling around the swim portion.

There always seems to be something with a sport that combines swimming, cycling and running. The trials and tribulations of staging the men’s and women’s triathlon competitions in Paris’ famed waterway are just the latest chapter.

Organizers have been adamant in their insistence the swimming portion of the triathlon and the marathon swimming events next week could safely be held in the river. There have been health questions leading into the event, similar to Rio in 2016 at the Copacabana beach.

“I understand they’re great waterways and they’re sources of pride and all that, but I don’t think it’s worth it just to do this,” Dr. Nicole Iovine, an infectious diseases specialist at the University of Florida, said. “Why put anybody at any level of risk? It just doesn’t make sense. It’s something that cannot be completely controlled from a health and safety perspective. And since there are alternatives, why take the risk?”

The scenery around the Seine was certainly picturesque, especially with the Eiffel Tower in the backdrop as the triathletes finished on the bridge that spans the waterway.

However, the competition was plagued by concern over the water quality. Elevated levels of bacteria delayed the men’s race. But the competition was held and the views played well on television as athletes cycled and ran by Paris' finest attractions.

“We’re lucky enough to have probably the most beautiful venue of any race in the Olympics,” gold medalist Alex Yee of Britain said.

It was all part of an ambitious plan to clean up the long-polluted Seine, spending 1.4 billion euros ($1.5 billion) in infrastructure improvements. A few swim practice sessions needed to be scratched and the men's race pushed back a day due to water quality and held after the women’s race.

“I didn’t think the Seine was that dirty (Wednesday),” said French triathlete Léo Bergere, who won the bronze medal. “Big cities always have to deal with the pollution. Today they managed to deliver.”

Leading into the Rio de Janeiro Olympics , the waterways around the city remained contaminated with raw human sewage teeming with dangerous viruses and bacteria, according to a 16-month-long study commissioned by The Associated Press at the time.

The AP conducted tests revealed Copacabana Beach, where the marathon and triathlon swimming were to be held and thousands of tourists were likely to swim, exceeded California’s limit five times over 13 months of testing.

Eight years later, a private concessionaire is working to recover the aquatic ecosystem in Rio’s western zone. The project's goal is to remove enough silt and filth from the Barra and Jacarepagua lagoons to fill 920 Olympic-size swimming pools.

Divers remained on the lookout for sharks in the waters of Sydney Harbour during a rehearsal swim in 2000, when triathlon made its Olympic debut.

None were spotted. It was just a precaution to calm nervous competitors. The divers used an electrical device to release low frequency signals.

Fast forward to 2024: There's a Netflix film that was recently released called “Under Paris" that stars a shark and involves a triathlon in the Seine.

The Olympic men’s triathlon needed a restart after dozens of competitors jumped into the water at the Tokyo Games in 2021 while others were stuck on the dock. Because their path was blocked by a boat containing cameras that had moved in the way.

The buzzer was sounded to signal a false start and bring the racers back to the dock. It wasn't heard by everyone and some of the initial leaders were about 200 meters out before they eventually stopped swimming and were ushered back to try again.

The Los Angeles Games are about to be on the clock. The marathon swimming and triathlon competitions are expected to take place at the waterfront in Long Beach. Stay tuned.

AP