Tony Estanguet Confident Despite Seine Water Quality Issues

Tony Estanguet, the president of Paris 2024, expresses confidence that the River Seine will be usable for the Olympics this summer, despite recent water quality tests showing that it still fails to meet standards. The Paris mayor’s office released results indicating that E. Coli levels continue to exceed the limits set by sports federations. On 18 June, the E. Coli levels were ten times above the acceptable threshold and did not drop below the World Triathlon Federation’s limit of 1,000 colony-forming units per 100 millilitres (cfu/ml).

The mayor’s office blames poor water quality on bad weather, low sunlight, cold temperatures, and upstream pollution. The Olympics, starting on 26 July, will feature events in the River Seine, including triathlon and marathon swimming. Despite the water quality concerns, Estanguet remains confident in hosting competitions in the River Seine. He states, “We remain confident about delivering the competitions in the River Seine. From the beginning, we knew the plan aligned with good conditions at the end of July. Now we are entering the final lap and the good zone”.

However, heavy rain before the events could potentially increase bacteria levels in the water. In the past, water quality issues led to the cancellation of the Open Water Swimming World Cup and the swimming leg of the World Triathlon Para Cup in August. Nevertheless, the World Triathlon test event proceeded later that month. To address the water quality concerns, organizers are investing approximately 1.4 billion euros (£1.2 billion) in a regeneration project for the River Seine.  This project includes the construction of a rainwater storage basin to reduce pollution risks.

The opening ceremony of the Olympics is planned to be the first held outside a stadium, with over 10,000 athletes expected to sail along a 6km stretch of the River Seine on approximately 160 barges. However, French President Emmanuel Macron has indicated that the location could change if security risks are deemed too high. The decision aims to ensure the safety of all participants and spectators. Additionally, strong currents led organizers to cancel the first full practice session for the ceremony on Monday.