PARIS: Paralympic organisers on Sunday postponed the triathlon by a day due to concerns about the water quality of the River Seine.
"The latest analysis shows a deterioration in the water quality of the Seine following heavy rainfall over the past two days," the organisers said.
Following a meeting between World Triathlon, the Paris 2024 organisers, and the relevant French authorities, they added, "It was decided to schedule the 11 medal sessions of the Para triathlon on September 2."
The triathlon was originally scheduled to take place over two days—September 1 and 2.
The issue has also affected the Olympics triathlon and open-water swimming events, with several practice sessions being cancelled due to high levels of pollution caused by heavy rainfall.
Out of 11 days of events and training scheduled in the river during the Olympics, only five received the green light.
Despite a €1.4 billion ($1.5 billion) upgrade to improve Paris’s sewerage and water treatment system, the Seine has been plagued by pollution concerns, particularly regarding its levels of enterococci and E. coli bacteria.