PARIS, July 31 (Bernama-dpa) -- World Triathlon has confirmed that Olympic athletes will compete on Wednesday after the men's event had to be postponed due to the River Seine being deemed not clean enough to swim in.
"We will swim," World Triathlon wrote in a brief post on social media platform X early on Wednesday, the German news agency (dpa) reported.
The post also included an emoji representing a face with a look of triumph.
The event was originally scheduled for Tuesday but is now set for Wednesday at 10:45 am local time (0845 GMT), following the women's race which keeps its 8 am slot.
Had the water quality not improved, the events could have been moved to Friday. As a last resort, the swim portion would have been dropped, resulting in a duathlon of cycling and running.
World Triathlon president Marisol Casado expressed disappointment at the postponement but noted that there have been events held in a duathlon format before, and they are adapting to climate change.
France has made significant efforts over the years to improve the water quality of the Seine, investing around €1.4 billion (£1.2 billion) in recent years to make the river suitable for Olympic events, including next week's open water swimming.
Daily tests had determined it was safe to swim in shortly before the start of the Games, with Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo, French Sports Minister Amélie Oudéa-Castéra, and organising committee chief Tony Estanguet taking the plunge to boost overall confidence earlier this month.
However, the rain that also marred Friday's opening ceremony increased levels of faecal bacteria, or E. coli, forcing the cancellation of triathlon swim training on Sunday and Monday, and the men's race on Tuesday.
A statement on Tuesday said that "water quality levels did not provide sufficient guarantees to allow the event to be held."
"Paris 2024 and World Triathlon reiterate that their priority is the health of the athletes."
-- BERNAMA-dpa
