Fears major Paris Olympics event could be CANCELLED after practice run is scrapped just hours before start
FEARS are growing that the team triathlon could be cancelled at the Paris Olympics.
This is down to the quality of the water on the River Seine after it dropped below the required standard.
The quality of the water has been a constant issue as it caused delays to the triathlon that Alex Yee won gold in.
The Team GB star staged a brilliant comeback to take first place just hours after Beth Potter swooped bronze in the murky waters.
The levels dropped after heavy rain at the end of last week after previously been clean enough to swim in.
The Olympic organisers made the decision to cancel the event for a second day in a row after a practice session.
It had been thought that the condition would have improved by today.
But by 7am, they had not done so by enough to allow the practice swim.
Last week the men’s triathlon was postponed by a day due to the water quality being poor.
The heavy rain in Paris has increased E coli levels and other bacteria in the river.
OLYMPICS FREE BETS – SIGN UP OFFERS AND DEAL FOR PARIS 2024
The hot weather has helped lower the bacteria levels, and the temperature is expected to hit 25C later today.
Belgian triathlete Jolien Vermeylen was less than impressed with the quality of the water when she swam in the river.
Speaking to VTM after the race, she said: “I drank a lot of water, so we’ll know tomorrow if I’m sick or not.
“It doesn’t taste like Coca-Cola or Sprite, of course.
“While swimming under the bridge, I felt and saw things that we shouldn’t think about too much.
“The Seine has been dirty for a hundred years, so they can’t say that the safety of the athletes is a priority. That’s bulls***!”
City swimming has been banned in Paris for over a century due to water quality issues.
And despite a major €1billion regeneration project, the water was still not up to standards in the expected time frame – leading to the cancellations and postponements.