Event tests the water of Paris venue

A triathlon test event for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games is being held in and around the River Seine in the French capital this week, after organizers confirmed conditions had improved enough for athletes to swim in the waterway, following the cancelation of a previous test event earlier this month due to bad water quality.

The Seine will be the venue for the marathon swim at the Games next summer, and the swimming leg of the Olympic and Paralympic triathlon.

Christophe Rosa, the deputy general delegate of the Paris Olympic and Paralympic delegation at Paris City Hall, said the latest tests indicated water quality levels were back to acceptable standards, reported The Associated Press news agency.

The river's water quality was being monitored with "a very robust process" that involves testing almost "hour by hour" through an automatic sampling system, in addition to daily laboratory tests to guarantee the best conditions for athletes to compete in complete safety, especially regarding their health, said Rosa.

The triathlon event held from Thursday to Sunday follows the last-minute cancelation of a swimming competition scheduled to take place in the Seine at the beginning of August.

The Open Water Swimming World Cup event was canceled because the water quality had remained "below acceptable standards for safeguarding swimmers' health", according to the French Swimming Federation.

It was reported that heavy rains had caused overflows of untreated waste, which spoilt the water quality.

Games organizers have said the river will be ready for next summer's Olympics, due to major investments in water-management projects that, officials claim, will reduce pollution caused by storms.

Organizers have insisted in recent weeks that water quality in the Seine has regularly reached the levels required for competitions, demonstrating significant progress made.

Christophe Noel du Peyrat, chief of staff of the Paris region authority, said: "This first competition in the Seine is an important step in the fight to make the Seine a swimming area."

Water quality had recently shown noticeable improvement during periods of normal weather, he noted, adding that "we still have a lot of work ahead for year 2024 … to be able to face exceptional weather like what we've known at the end of July and beginning of August", when rain levels reached four times the usual average.

Brigitte Legare, sport manager at the Paris 2024 organization committee, said the triathlon event serves as a vital logistics test for the Olympics, ensuring the Seine's safety and testing timing systems, security measures, and control of spectators' movements.

The Paris 2024 Olympic Games is set to take place from July 26 to Aug 11, with the opening ceremony to span 6 kilometers along the river.

A parade is set to include 160 boats carrying athletes and officials from more than 200 countries, with an estimated 600,000 spectators viewing from streets and bridges.