Paris 2024: Olympic swim training cancelled day before scheduled mixed triathlon relay

ByAlec McQuarrie

Published 04/08/2024 at 11:02 GMT+1

The final triathlon event of Paris 2024 has been thrown into doubt, with the Seine failing water quality tests for a second consecutive day. This is the second time familiarisation sessions in the Seine have been cancelled at the Games, with the men's individual event postponed by 24 hours due to poor water standards. Team GB are looking to defend their title from Tokyo 2020.

Swim training for the mixed triathlon relay has been cancelled for the second day in a row after the water quality of the Seine was again found to be below required standards.

Heavy rainfall on Thursday evening continues to affect preparations for the final triathlon event of the Olympics and has led to the second instance of a double-day delay to training at the Games.

Olympic officials postponed the men’s race last Tuesday, eventually won by Team GB’s Alex Yee the day after, following cancellations to Sunday and Monday’s familiarisation sessions.

Olympic Games Paris 2024

'Just feels really right' - Two-time Olympic gold medallist Brownlee retires

21/11/2024 at 10:55

Paris 2024 organisers announced the decision late on Saturday, August 3, noting that they predict weather conditions, and thus water quality, to improve before Monday’s event.

The statement read: "We are expecting an improvement on the conditions in the next hours, but not to a level to which the swim familiarisation planned for tomorrow can take place.

"In view of these conditions, we have decided to cancel the swim familiarisation tonight to avoid late communication to athletes."

Watch: Why has the men's triathlon been postponed? What is the back-up plan?

Video credit: TNT Sports

Heavy rain affects the quality of the water in Paris’ aquatic artery as it can overwhelm the French capital’s sewage and drainage systems.

Warm weather, which is expected on Sunday and Monday, can slow the current of the river and lower the water levels.

The mixed relay triathlon, first introduced three years ago in Tokyo when Great Britain took the inaugural title, sees two male and two female athletes compete over four legs.

• Team GB’s Beth Potter earns triathlon bronze as France’s Cassandre Beaugrand wins gold
• Could the triathlon become a duathlon? How will it work? Why has it been postponed?

Each competitor faces a 300m swim before an 8km cycle, finishing their section with a 2km run.

Due to commence at 8:00am on Monday, August 5, Team GB are represented by men’s champion Alex Yee, Georgia Taylor-Brown, Sam Dickinson and women’s bronze medallist Beth Potter.

Dickinson has already displayed his selfless teamwork in Paris, sacrificing his chances at an individual medal to help former housemate Yee to Olympic gold.

---

discovery+ is the streaming home of the Olympic Games, and the only place you can watch every moment of Paris 2024 this summer.

Triathlon

'I really did do it the hard way' - Taylor-Brown clinches record third supertri title

03/11/2024 at 14:48

T100 Grand Final

Van Riel wins inaugural Grand Final in Dubai to become first ever T100 world champion

17/11/2024 at 14:08

Olympic Games

Yee reveals how help from Farah supported him through injury

21/09/2023 at 13:33