Marisol Casado, president of World Triathlon, expressed confidence that the men's triathlon event would proceed as scheduled on Tuesday, despite concerns over water quality in the River Seine. Quality testing had deemed the river unsafe for athletes on both Sunday and Monday due to heavy rainfall on Friday and parts of Saturday.
The men's triathlon is set for Tuesday, with the women's event following on Wednesday. Contingency dates have been set for Thursday and Friday, respectively.
Casado acknowledged that weather conditions were the only factor beyond their control, stating, 'After raining for two days, as you see during the opening ceremony and the second day, altogether that was the reason for that. Now, the recuperation is going very fast and I'm confident that tomorrow there will be the event in the Seine.' She highlighted that athletes are accustomed to such challenges, particularly with climate change affecting events worldwide.
While Casado remained optimistic about the event proceeding as planned, she did not rule out the possibility of relocating the race if water quality does not meet the required standards. In the worst-case scenario, the swimming leg of the triathlon could be eliminated, converting the competition into a duathlon with a run, cycle, and another run.
When asked about her confidence level regarding the event's execution on Tuesday, Casado rated it at 8 out of 10, noting that weather conditions were showing signs of improvement. She also referenced past instances in Tokyo and Rio de Janeiro where challenges were overcome to ensure the event's success.
