Paralympics triathlon events moved forward due to weather

All triathlon events at the Paris Paralympics will take place on 1 September due to concerns that stormy weather could stir up pollution in the River Seine, organisers announced on Thursday.

The triathlon events were originally scheduled to happen over two days – 1 and 2 September  – but those initially scheduled for the second have been brought forward due to the "high level of uncertainty" of the weather forecast for the coming days.

"All eleven medal events will now take place on 1 September, instead of across two days, on 1 and 2 September. This decision has been taken to provide athletes and coaches with as much certainty as possible," organisers said in a statement.

The decision was made following a meeting between governing body World Triathlon, Paris 2024 organisers and the relevant French authorities involved in monitoring the water quality of the Seine.

The issue caused disruption to the Olympics triathlon and open-water swimming events, with several practice sessions being cancelled due to high levels of pollution caused by heavy rainfall.

Of 11 days of events and training scheduled in the river during the Olympics, only five got the green light.

Despite a €1.4 billion upgrade to improve the Paris sewerage and water treatment system, the Seine has remain dogged by pollution concerns, notably for its levels of enterococci and E.Coli bacteria.

A "successful" training session for the Paralympic competitors took place earlier on Thursday and Paris 2024 and World Triathlon will "continue their daily monitoring of water quality and the flow of the current".

Further familiarisation swims are scheduled for Friday and Saturday, with organisers announcing that the final confirmation of the sessions, as well as that of the race day, will be taken the evening before.