Water quality: The next fiasco is looming: Further problems with the Seine

The hope was in vain – at least for the time being. Instead of jumping into the Seine in the middle of Paris, triathlon star Martin Schulz just stood at the Pont Alexandre III and will have to wait at least until Monday. Only then will he be allowed to try to defend his gold medal at the Paralympic Games. But only if the quality of the water has improved by then.

For the German flag bearer and two-time gold medal winner Schulz, the short-term postponement on Sunday was “a bit unexpected because the water has been OK recently,” he said. But he had his first suspicions during the night when national coach Tom Kosmehl – unlike usual – did not crawl out of bed. “My alarm clock would have rung at 6:15 a.m. and I was wondering why he was reading something the whole time,” said Schulz. Kosmehl, who normally gets up at 4 a.m., read the association’s announcement. It said that the medal decisions had been postponed.

Nobody expected the event to be scheduled for Monday, said Schulz. “Yes, it rained a little. But we were told that the amount of rain that fell did not have a significant impact on the water.”

Rainfall generally causes greater pollution in rivers. New samples have now shown poor values. Therefore, after a meeting of the world association, the organizing committee and the responsible French authority, it was decided to give the water another day to recover. Especially since the sun shone throughout Sunday in the French capital and no further rainfall was expected.

Next fiasco looms

Meanwhile, the big discussions are gaining momentum again, and the organizers of the Paris event are facing another fiasco. 1.4 billion euros were invested in sewage treatment plants and the sewage system so that the swim could take place in the heart of Paris.

Originally, the eleven competitions were to be split over two days, but were moved to Sunday due to the weather forecast. Now the next change of plan. And if the figures don’t improve, the triathlon could still be held on Tuesday in an emergency. However, there is also the option of only holding a duathlon – consisting of cycling and running.

However, that would not be to the liking of the 34-year-old Schulz. “Personally, I am not so sensitive and assume that the others would also like to swim in the Seine before we have to hold a duathlon,” he said. But first and foremost he hopes that everything will be fair.

“We accept that”

“The values ​​are not much higher, but they are above the upper limit,” explained Kosmehl. “I told the athletes that we are turning the clock back 24 hours. That means they are now going through the preparation again.”

However, official training on Saturday had already been cancelled, confirmed Schulz. “But that was more of a precautionary measure,” he said. “You’re just being very cautious, which is basically a good thing. We’re accepting it now.”