The, Ahem, Sh**ty Reason Why Swimming Could Be Canceled in Olympics Triathlon Event

Hosting the Olympics is a matter of great pride and responsibility for any country, and that be said for France, which has carried out the duties for the 2024 event fairly well so far (with a couple of massive exceptions).

However, despite their best attempts, the French are currently struggling to hold an event in the river Seine due to well, ahem, sh**ty reasons. The men’s triathlon event, which was supposed to take place on Tuesday, has now been moved to Wednesday due to the alarming quantity of E. coli and other bacteria in the water body.

This will make the men’s competition clash with the women’s event, which is also scheduled to take place the same day. Friday has been kept as a reserve day, but as things stand, it is looking more likely that the swimming segment of the event will be canceled.

The country has invested heavily in ensuring that the beautiful but notoriously unhygienic river remains in pristine state throughout the competition, pumping in $1.5 billion and overlooking a massive cleaning drive. However, there has been little to no effect on the bacteria levels in the waterway that runs through France’s capital. The swimming portion of the triathlon is not the only event under threat, as the river is also in line to host the marathon swimming competition next week.

The weather Paris has experienced in recent days has only made matters worse, with rain accentuating the overflow of the city’s domestic water system, leading to the impurity levels in the Seine compounding. To make matters worse, there is a rain forecast predicted in the city from Tuesday night through Thursday.

The Olympics officials are hoping for clear skies and hot and dry weather in the upcoming days, which might lead to water tests showing a tolerable amount of E. coli and other bacteria. The tests are conducted 21 and a half hours before the call to go ahead with the events is taken, which leaves the triathlon competition in limbo.

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Evan Tiwari

Evan is a staff writer at The Mary Sue, contributing to multiple sections, including but not limited to movies, TV shows, gaming, and music. He brings in more than five years of experience in the content and media industry, both as a manager and a writer. Outside his working hours, you can either catch him at a soccer game or dish out hot takes on his Twitter account.