Paralympic triathlon competitions in Paris scheduled for Sunday have been postponed because of concerns about water quality in the Seine River after heavy rainfall, organizers said. The 11 para triathlon events are now scheduled for Monday, if upcoming water testing allows, the Paris 2024 organizing committee and World Triathlon said in a joint statement. Rainstorms hit the French capital Friday and Saturday. Heavy rains cause wastewater and runoff to flow into the river, leading to a rise in bacteria levels including E. coli, the AP reports. This is the second schedule change for the para triathlon events.
They had been scheduled to take place over two days, Sunday and Monday, but were moved to Sunday because of rain forecasts. The disruption is another hiccup for the city's efforts to clean up the river for future public swimming, one of Paris' most ambitious promises ahead of hosting the Olympics and Paralympics this summer. The men's individual triathlon event during the Olympics was delayed, and several test swims were canceled because of E. coli levels. Lazreg Benel-Hadj, of the French Swimming Federation, said that while some of the 53 athletes who took part in Olympic swimming competitions in the Seine fell ill afterward, none of those illnesses was linked to the river water. Deputy Mayor Pierre Rabadan said that athletic events in the river would continue past the Paralympics. "And that's a massive legacy of the games," he said.
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