Heavy rain continues to wreck havoc at Paris Olympics as swimming practice for men’s triathlon is thrown into doubt… with major concerns over whether the River Seine will be safe for athletes

Heavy rain has continued to wreak havoc with the Olympics, with tomorrow’s practice swimming session for the men’s triathlon in the Seine now in doubt.

Torrential downpours have fallen on Paris repeatedly since Thursday evening, disrupting the Opening Ceremony.

And they have now added to the already-existing major concerns over whether the river, which has been at the centre of a £1bn clean-up project, will be fit for humans to enter.

Despite significant investment, the threat of pollution – in particular E.coli – is a concern, with heavy rainfall particularly damaging given it can trigger problems with wastewater.

The event is due to start on Tuesday, but the key practice session – in which entrants make themselves familiar with their surroundings – is in jeopardy.

The practice swimming session for the men’s triathlon in the Seine now in doubt

The speed of the water, thanks to the continued deluge, is another concern.

Daily inspections are being carried out and the latest is due to take place at 4am on Sunday at which a final decision will be made.

With rain still falling Tony Estanguet, the Paris 2024 chief, told a press conference he was ‘very confident’ that swimming in the Seine would take place in the triathlon competition.

The rain is forecast to clear from this afternoon, with temperatures due to soar into the 30s from Sunday.

British athletes have said they will be taking medical cleaning scrub and probiotics in an attempt to protect themselves.

A Paris 2024 spokesperson said: ‘The rain that has fallen on Paris over the last 24 hours is likely to impact the quality of the water in the Seine over the next 24 to 36 hours.

‘Depending on current water quality levels and the conditions expected over the next 24 hours, it is possible that the familiarisation (athlete training) scheduled for Sunday 28 July at 8am may be cancelled. The decision will be taken at the daily situation meeting at 4am on 28 July.

‘We are nonetheless confident in our ability to organise the events as planned from 30 July. Given the weather forecast for the next 48 hours, we expect the water quality to return to below limits within the next 24 to 36 hours. 

‘As observed in July, with summer conditions (more sunshine, higher temperatures, prolonged absence of rain) water quality is improving significantly.’