Olympic triathletes set to swim Seine after water quality tests show river safe

July 30 (UPI) -- Following days of uncertainty over the water quality of Paris' famed Seine River, Olympic organizers said recent tests showed that the triathlon events set for Wednesday morning can go ahead as planned.

The women's triathlon event is scheduled for 8 a.m. Wednesday followed by the men's triathlon at 10:45 a.m.

"We will swim," World Triathlon said Wednesday morning in a post on X.

We will swim pic.twitter.com/fJR5UVpn2B — World Triathlon (@worldtriathlon) July 31, 2024

The announcement comes after water analyses received at 3:20 a.m. local time Wednesday showed levels compliant with World Triathlon standards, the sport's governing body and Paris Olympics organizers said in a statement .

The men's triathlon was originally scheduled for 8 a.m. Tuesday but was postponed following failed water quality tests of the Seine River where athletes are to compete in the swim portion of the three-leg race.

Concerns over whether the triathlons would take place had long been stoked heading into the Olympics as swimming in the Seine has been banned for a century.

Over the course of nearly a decade, some $1.5 billion has been spent to improve the environmental and sanitary quality of the water in the Seine to make it swimmable in the long term and, on the short term, an Olympic venue this week.

As recently as last month, a report was published showing the river was still too unsafe for swimming.

But efforts continued, and Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo took a dip in the river two weeks ago to show it was on track for good showing at the Olympics.

However, heavy rains on Friday and Saturday resulted in a drop in the river's water quality, forcing organizers to postpone the men's race on Tuesday.

Friday was slated as a contingency date.

The triathlon is not the only event using the Seine for Olympic competition.

The women's 10-km marathon swimming event is scheduled to take place 7:30 a.m. on Aug. 8, with the men's event scheduled for the same time the following day.

For both events, athletes are to swim a 1.67-km loop of the Seine.