The poor water quality may mean that the OS triathlon becomes an OS duathlon.
A decision regarding the men's race will be made four hours before the start on Tuesday morning.
It would be a fiasco, says Sweden's Tilda Månsson.
Even before the summer Olympic Games in Paris, there was skepticism about arranging competitions in the Seine. To counter the criticism, several politicians have bathed in the river in an attempt to prove that the water quality is good enough and healthy enough to compete in.
However, water samples have shown for two days in a row that this is not the case since it has rained over France's capital in periods. Triathletes on both the women's and men's sides have been prevented from training in the river both on Sunday and on Monday. A decision regarding whether the swimming in the men's race can be carried out will be made at 04 on Tuesday morning. Otherwise, the entire competition may be postponed until Thursday or Friday. Or the competition may become a duathlon, with only running and cycling, on the regular competition day, according to BBC.
The sports manager of the Norwegian triathlon association believes that the men's race can be carried out according to plan now that the sun has started shining over Paris again.
Believes in the weather
Based on the weather forecasts now, I believe that it will definitely be a triathlon with swimming in the Seine, says sports manager Arild Tveiten according to NTB.
The Paris OS organization, which has invested large sums in making the Seine swimmable, says that it feels confident that the water quality will improve before the race, which is planned to start with swimming at 08.
Månsson critical
Sweden's Tilda Månsson, who will compete on Wednesday, has been critical of the fact that the swimming competitions are arranged in the Seine. The OS debutant has previously become stomach sick when competing in unsuitable water. She had intended to abstain from the training swim, which was cancelled, with a risk of stomach sickness.
Månsson does not believe that the competition organization wants to shorten the competition from three to two events.
I believe that they would rather choose to postpone the start by several days than choose to cancel it and make it a duathlon. It would be a fiasco, she says to TT.
The triathlon's reserve competition days are on Thursday and Friday. The mixed relay will be decided on Monday next week.
