The Paris Olympics’ organizers have vowed to "redouble efforts to clean up the Seine river after several test events were cancelled this weekend because of pollution," raising doubts over swimming plans for next summer’s Games. Athletes in the World Triathlon Olympic Games test event swam in the Seine on Thursday and Friday, but competitions scheduled for Saturday and Sunday were "scrapped because water quality tests showed 'significant discrepancies.'" The decision was another setback to the city’s ambitions to reopen the Seine river to host two long-distance races and the swimming legs of the triathlon at Paris 2024. To prepare, Paris has embarked on a "major clean-up and infrastructure upgrade" that will cost €1.4B ($1.5B).
Paris 2024 Organizing Committee President Tony Estanguet said on Sunday that "excellent improvements" to the river water quality had already been made and would continue "month by month." He added, "We are quite calm about next year" ( FINANCIAL TIMES, 8/21 ).
