Scheduled to commence on Tuesday's dawn, the Olympic men's triathlon swimming leg was abruptly postponed, victim to the pollution lurking within the Seine's waters. The river, once the butt of jokes since Netflix premiered Xavier Gens' pulse-pounding shark thriller 'Under Paris,' was poised to showcase its rejuvenated clarity for the triathlon and marathon events. Months prior, Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo had vowed to transform the waterways into a haven where athletes and locals alike could swim with confidence. This colossal endeavor, aimed at cleansing the infamously contaminated river, surpassed a staggering $1.5 billion in cost, yet it swiftly encountered ridicule and even sparked a satirical social media campaign, '#JeChieDansLaSeine,' urging Parisians to defecate in the river's embrace earlier this month.
In a bid to reassure the public and instill a sense of security, Mayor Hidalgo, accompanied by Tony Estanguet—the gold-medal-winning French slalom canoeist and Olympic organizing committee president—braved the Seine's waters on July 17, clad in a wetsuit and goggles. Their swim was intended to ignite enthusiasm and demonstrate the river's newfound safety. However, daily water tests revealed a stubborn truth: the Seine remained heavily polluted, with elevated levels of E. coli, a telltale sign of fecal contamination.
Local media outlets have lamented that the torrential downpours on July 26, particularly during the grand opening ceremony, exacerbated the situation, boosting the presence of E. coli and other harmful bacteria within the river's depths. This unfortunate turn of events prompted the cancellation of two crucial training days (Sunday and Monday), casting a shadow over the men's triathlon. Currently penciled in for a tentative rescheduling on Wednesday, with Friday, August 2, as a fallback option, the event's fate hangs in the balance. Meanwhile, the mixed-team relay remains steadfastly set for August 5.
The relentless rainfall during the opening ceremony also compelled Lady Gaga to pre-record her performance, a precautionary measure to ensure her safety amidst the tumultuous weather. Maud le Pladec, the innovative choreographer and dance director for both the Olympics and Paralympics, who collaborated intimately with Gaga for months, revealed that the spectacle was perilously close to being axed due to the inclement conditions.
