Saturday, June 15, 2024 2:17PM - Water in the Seine River had unsafe elevated levels of E. coli less than two months before swimming competitions are scheduled to take place in it during the Paris Olympics, according to test results published Friday.
The first Olympic event in the cleaned-up Seine is men's triathlon, including a 1.5-kilometer swim, on the morning of July 30. The women's triathlon is the next day and a mixed relay event is on Aug. 5. Despite the IOC's publicly expressed confidence, the final decision on approving the events safe for athletes should rest with the governing bodies of individual sports, World Aquatics and World Triathlon.
During the first eight days of June, test results showed that E. coli levels frequently exceeded these thresholds. Enterococci levels were better, mostly staying within safe limits. The tests indicated an improvement, from high contamination levels on June 1 to more acceptable levels by June 9, mainly due to improved weather.