PARALYMPIC ORGANISERS ON Sunday postponed the triathlon by a day over worries about the River Seine’s water quality.
“The latest analysis shows a deterioration in the water quality of the Seine following heavy rainfall over the past two days,” the organisers said.
“It was decided to schedule the 11 medal sessions of the Para triathlon on September 2,” they added, following a meeting between World Triathlon, the Paris 2024 organisers, and the relevant French authorities.
The triathlon was originally scheduled to happen over two days — September 1 and 2.
The issue also caused disruption to the Olympics triathlon and open-water swimming events, with several practice sessions being cancelled due to high levels of pollution caused by heavy rainfall.
Of 11 days of events and training scheduled in the river during the Olympics, only five got the green light.
Despite a €1.4 billion euros upgrade to improve the Paris sewerage and water treatment system, the Seine has been dogged by pollution concerns, notably for its levels of enterococci and E.coli bacteria.
Derry twins Chloe and Judith MacCombe (and sighted guides Catherine Sands and Eimear Nicholls) are due to compete in the PTV1 class, while Cassie Cava is in the PTS4 category.
Chloe MacCombe and Catherine Sands are a strong pairing in good form, while Judith MacCombe won a silver medal at the Commonwealth Games.
Cassie Cava, meanwhile, switched allegiance from Great Britain to Ireland in 2017 and won bronze medals at the 2018 and 2019 World Triathlon Grand Finals.
- With reporting from Emma Duffy in Paris
Written by AFP and originally published on The 42 whose award-winning team produces original content that you won’t find anywhere else: on GAA, League of Ireland, women’s sport and boxing, as well as our game-changing rugby coverage, all with an Irish eye. Subscribe here.
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