It rained in Paris and the water quality deteriorated. The triathlon competitions have therefore been postponed. National coach Kosmehl and the German flag bearer Schulz show understanding.
After the rain in Paris over the past few days, the organizers have postponed the Paralympics triathlon. The water quality in the Seine is too poor to swim in, they said. The races have initially been postponed by one day, but could still be held on Tuesday in an emergency. However, there is also the emergency option of only holding a duathlon – consisting of cycling and running.
However, that would not be to the taste of the German flag bearer and two-time Paralympic gold medalist Martin Schulz. “Personally, I’m not that sensitive and assume that the others would also like to swim in the Seine before we have to hold a duathlon,” he said. For him, the short-term postponement was “a bit unexpected because the water has been OK recently. Nobody expected that,” said Schulz.
Problems already at the Olympics
Triathlon races had already been postponed at the Olympics after major discussions about the poor water quality. Rain generally causes a river to become dirtier. In the run-up to the games, 1.4 billion euros were invested in sewage treatment plants and the sewage system so that the swimming could take place in the heart of Paris.
It is unclear whether the triathlon competitions can actually take place on Monday, as the water quality is still being checked. The adverse weather conditions with the heavy rain had led to a concentration of bacteria in the Seine. The competitions were originally scheduled to be split over two days, but were moved to Sunday due to the weather forecast.
“We accept that”
“The values are not much higher, but they are above the upper limit,” explained national coach Tom Kosmehl, who learned of the postponement after a meeting of the world association, the organizing committee and the responsible French authority during the night. “We are optimistic that everything will take place tomorrow. The weather is stable. We are preparing, but the day after tomorrow would still be a chance.”
The latest tests had shown a deterioration in the water quality in the Seine, it was said. Therefore, the water quality at Pont Alexandre III – where the triathletes were supposed to compete – was not suitable for swimming. Training had already been postponed the day before. “But that was more of a precautionary measure,” said Schulz. “People are just being very cautious, which is basically a good thing. We’re accepting it now.”
Source: Stern
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