Olympic triathlon swimming leg could be cancelled over Seine water quality

Athletes dive into the River Seine during the swim familiarisation event before triathlon test races in Paris last August. Photograph: Bertrand Guay/AFP/Getty Images

The president of the Paris 2024 Olympics has admitted that the triathlon competition could be delayed, or the swimming leg even cancelled, if adverse weather conditions impact on water quality in the River Seine this summer.

Tony Estanguet stressed that he was proud that more than a billion Euros had been invested in a bid to provide safe swimming in the Seine for the first time in a century. However he conceded that the prospect of heavy rain raising E Coli levels was one of his “biggest challenges” for the Games, which start in just over 100 days.