So far, so good ? According to Amélie Oudéa-Castéra, there is in any case no need to worry about the events of the Paris Olympics in 2024 scheduled in the Seine. The cancellations of three “test events” of open water swimming and triathlon nevertheless constituted a real soap opera in this month of August in Paris.
“There are two very different things,” said the Minister of Sports at the Parisian this Wednesday. What happened in early August [pour la nage en eau libre] was linked to the fact that our infrastructures to secure bathability in the event of rain are not yet all completed today. Unfortunately, there were exceptional rains in early August. »
“A one-time incident” penalized the triathletes
Amélie Oudéa-Castéra then returned to the two triathlon cancellations (out of four tests) last week: “As all the lights were green on the quality of the water lately and the deterioration was sudden, without hazard particular weather conditions, investigations were necessary to understand the origin of the problem. It appears that a one-off incident affected the Tolbiac water plant. The valve that prevents the discharge of rainwater to the Seine seems to have leaked, allowing water of insufficient quality to flow into it. The City of Paris is finalizing the analysis and has taken the necessary measures following this incident. This is not linked to the bathing plan and does not call into question the structural progress of the project. »
What therefore guarantees athletes that the triathlon is not likely to turn into a duathlon, in August 2024, which would be a (sad) first in the history of the Olympic Games? “We will be there for the Games”, concludes in any case the Minister of Sports.