Athletes Swimming in the Seine Share Their Thoughts... "The Taste Is Not Good" [Paris Olympics]

"The taste is not good. (The water color) is somewhat brown."

"I hope it's okay. I think I drank about 1 liter of river water."

These are the impressions left by athletes who participated in the women's triathlon event at the 2024 Paris Olympics, held for the first time in the Seine River in Paris, France. After training was canceled for two consecutive days due to water quality issues and the first race was postponed, the Olympic event was finally held in the Seine River on the 31st of last month (local time) after many twists and turns.

[Image source=AFP Yonhap News]

According to the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) and others, 55 female athletes participating in the women's triathlon entered the Seine River at 8 a.m. that day and swam 1500 meters against the murky water and strong currents. They then returned to land to continue the race. Tony Estanguet, Chair of the Paris Olympic Organizing Committee, expressed joy about holding the Olympics in the Seine River in an interview with France TV, calling it "magical," and French President Emmanuel Macron celebrated on his X (formerly Twitter) account, saying, "We achieved in just four years what was impossible for 100 years. Now we can swim in the Seine River."

The Seine River event, which France has promoted with billions of euros in investment, was uncertain until midnight. The men's triathlon event originally scheduled for the previous day was postponed until after the women's event due to concerns about water quality. The organizing committee explained that due to rain in Paris on July 26-27, the water quality in the Seine had deteriorated, with measurements of E. coli and other bacteria at some swimming course points exceeding permissible limits. Training for the triathlon had already been canceled for two consecutive days for the same reason.

WSJ described it as a "nightmare scenario" for the organizers and reported that "if the situation had not improved that day, the triathlon might have been converted to a duathlon (a two-discipline race excluding swimming)."

[Image source=TASS Yonhap News]

Ultimately, the participants were only certain that the race would proceed in the Seine River around 4 a.m. on the day of the event. The organizing committee announced that the water quality analysis results obtained at 3:20 a.m. met the standards of the World Aquatics Federation. The women's triathlon started as scheduled at 8 a.m., and the postponed men's race was held immediately after the women's event at 10:45 a.m.

What were the impressions of the athletes who competed in the so-called "dirty water swimming controversy" in the Seine River? After the race, New Zealand's Ainsley Thorpe told reporters, "The (water) taste was not good," adding, "It was somewhat brown." American Seth Rider expressed concern, saying, "I hope it's okay," and "I think I drank about 1 liter of water." His teammate Taylor Spivey said she had taken a lot of probiotics last month to prepare for the race in the Seine and added, "Let's see how it goes." One athlete told reporters, "I'll bring you a cup," adding, "If you want to taste it."

WSJ reported these impressions, stating, "At least so far, there have been no major problems." HuffPost evaluated, "Although the water quality was judged to have improved enough to hold the race, the athletes who entered the water still admitted it was not an enjoyable experience," adding, "This is probably not the feedback the Olympic organizers expected." The Mirror US pointed out that some athletes were seen vomiting on the broadcast after completing the course. Additionally, AP News and others reported that among the athletes who competed in the Seine River that day, there were several voices expressing concern about accidents caused by the strong currents rather than water quality.

Holding the first race in the Seine River does not mark the end of the water quality controversy. There remains a possibility that the water quality in the Seine could deteriorate again to the point where competition is impossible, depending on weather conditions. The mixed relay triathlon will be held on the 5th, and the marathon swimming events will take place on the 8th and 9th. The organizers plan to hold the marathon swimming event at the Ver-sur-Marne venue, where canoeing events are held, if necessary. The organizing committee confirmed, "There is a possibility of weather phenomena like those that recently occurred," and "We will carefully monitor the water quality results of the swimming course over the next few days."

Some voices criticize the current focus on water quality for France's ambitious goals. South African Henri Schoeman told AP News, "All the talk is about the river, not the athletes," calling it "a bit embarrassing." The French government and the City of Paris have been working to improve the Seine River's water quality since 2015 for this Olympic Games, investing about 1.4 billion euros in constructing underground water storage basins, upgrading sewage infrastructure, and improving wastewater treatment.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.