Olympic triathletes jumped into the River Seine on Monday morning as the mixed relay got underway. Organizers said bacteria levels in the long-polluted Paris waterway were at acceptable levels.
In a thrilling final sprint, the Germany team won gold, while the United States took silver and Great Britain took bronze.
The plan to hold the swimming portion of the triathlon and marathon swimming events in the Seine was ambitious. Swimming in the river has been banned since 1923, with a few exceptions, because it is too toxic.
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Representatives from World Triathlon and the International Olympic Committee, along with Paris Games organizers and regional and weather authorities met Sunday night to review the water tests. The results indicated that water quality at the triathlon venue had improved in recent hours and would fall within World Triathlon-imposed limits by Monday morning, they said in a statement.
The decision to go ahead with the Seine swim event came after the Belgian Olympic Committee announced Sunday that it would withdraw its team from the mixed relay triathlon after one of its participants fell ill while swimming in the river last week. It was not clear whether her illness was related to her Seine swim.
Paris spent 1.4 billion euros ($1.5 billion) on infrastructure improvements to clean up the river that runs through the city center. That included building a giant basin to capture stormwater and prevent sewage from flowing into the river, renovating the sewer system and upgrading wastewater treatment plants.
Heavy rains that have fallen intermittently during the Games have been a headache for organizers because they have resulted in elevated levels of fecal bacteria, including E. coli and enterococci, flowing into the river. A downpour fell on Thursday night, but otherwise it was dry except for light rain on Saturday night. The sun was shining brightly as the race took place on Monday, and athletes said organizers assured them there were no concerns about water quality.
Organizers are confident that the warm temperatures and the sun’s ultraviolet rays will combine to kill enough bacteria ahead of any event involving a dip in the Seine.
Athletes swam in the river Wednesday for the men’s and women’s individual triathlons, though the men’s race was postponed a day due to water quality. Elevated bacteria levels in the waterway have led to cancellations of the swimming portion of relay training sessions.
Daily water quality tests measure levels of fecal bacteria, including E. coli. World Triathlon Water Safety Guidelines and a 2006 European Union directive assign qualitative values to a range of E. coli levels.
According to World Triathlon guidelines, E. coli levels up to 1,000 colony-forming units per 100 milliliters can be considered “good” and competitions can proceed.
The mixed relay triathlon is a four-person team consisting of two men and two women. Each athlete swims 300 meters, cycles 4.2 miles, and runs 1.2 miles.
