Swimming in Seine

[AustralianFan]

15 hours ago, sebastien1214 said:

I'm not sure it's worth trying such a bet again in the future. I mean, for Brisbane... do it at sea, there's nothing very sexy in the buildings around Brisbane River.

Yes, Brisbane’s Triathlon will be held well away from Brisbane on the Gold Coast at Broadwater Parklands which is sheltered from the rolling surf on the ocean side.

[Bear]

oopsie! an athlete who swam in the Seine has been hospitalized with e.coli (though admittedly it's not 100% confirmed if the two are related)

 

[Bear]

https://press.paris2024.org/news/paris-2024-and-world-triathlon-4-august-2024-mixed-relay-competition-326cc-7578a.html

confirmation that mixed triathlon will go ahead

[krow]

WHAT

[FYI]

The Show must go on!

[Sir Rols]

17 minutes ago, Bear said:

https://press.paris2024.org/news/paris-2024-and-world-triathlon-4-august-2024-mixed-relay-competition-326cc-7578a.html

confirmation that mixed triathlon will go ahead

So that’s like, in a couple of hours?

[Bear]

11 minutes ago, Sir Rols said:

So that’s like, in a couple of hours?

yeah, two and a half hours from now

[Bear]

aaand they're in the water 🫣

[krow]

this is ridiculous — that water is obviously not safe. don't the paris organizers realize that sick athletes is worse PR than canceling events?

[sebastien1214]

1 hour ago, krow said:

this is ridiculous — that water is obviously not safe. don't the paris organizers realize that sick athletes is worse PR than canceling events?

The International Triathlon Federation (or Swimming Federation?) also has its share of responsibility in this. The problem is that the tests are carried out 22 hours before, so in fact when they say "it's good for today", it mainly means that the water was ok yesterday. So for today's events I think it's good because it's been several days in a row where it was sunny. But for the previous events, between the time of the test that gave the "OK" and the event, there were a few storms and showers, and we know that this can considerably increase the water pollution rate so...

[Bear]

Surprise! (okay well not really this was probably expected) - the Para-Triathlon events have also been impacted by Seine water quality, though this is more of a weather precaution rather than "it's currently unsafe":

https://press.paris2024.org/news/paris-2024-and-world-triathlon-announce-modified-schedule-for-para-triathlon-events-29-august-45d56-7578a.html

Para-Triathlon was meant to take place across two days - 1 and 2 September. However due to the weather forecast, it was decided to have all events occur on just 1 September.

We shall see how things develop within the next day or so...

[Olympian2004]

Now they postponed the triathlon to tomorrow (Monday, September 2), subject to further tests:

Paris 2024 Paralympics triathlon postponed because of poor water quality - BBC Sport

And adding to that, the German Paralympic triathlete Martin Schulz has expressed worries that the currents of the Seine might be too strong for several triathletes. For me, the Seine remains the only really dark spot on the otherwise excellent Paris 2024 venue plan. I ask myself whether it would have been impossible to switch the triathlon to another venue on short notice. Why not to the rowing/canoeing course - it is not in use between tomorrow and Thursday?

[sebastien1214]

1 hour ago, Olympian2004 said:

And adding to that, the German Paralympic triathlete Martin Schulz has expressed worries that the currents of the Seine might be too strong for several triathletes. 

The flow rate of the Seine is currently between 200-225m3/s. Note that during the Olympic Games, during the events, it was around 320m3/s.

I don't know if for Paralympic athletes the flow rate is even more of a problem than for "able-bodied" athletes; but in any case, for once, the current flow rate of the Seine is in line with expectations for the summer period.

[Olympian2004]

4 hours ago, sebastien1214 said:

The flow rate of the Seine is currently between 200-225m3/s. Note that during the Olympic Games, during the events, it was around 320m3/s.

I don't know if for Paralympic athletes the flow rate is even more of a problem than for "able-bodied" athletes; but in any case, for once, the current flow rate of the Seine is in line with expectations for the summer period.

Yes, I read in the meantime that the flow rate has decreased in the past few days, Martin Schulz' statement was made on or shortly before opening day when the flow rate was higher apparently. Let's hope that at least the flow rate won't make lives even more difficult for the athletes than the water quality already does.

[sebastien1214]

And 102 years after the ban, 37 years after Chirac promised to swim in the Seine, we can finally swim in the Seine again since this morning:

[Rob2012]

I don't know how the city is doing in other respects, but I hope Hidalgo is getting a decent amount of credit for the pedestrianisation, greening and cleaning of Paris. From photos I've seen it's been a remarkable project, something for other world cities to aspire to.

[Cyriln]

4 hours ago, Rob2012 said:

I hope Hidalgo is getting a decent amount of credit for the pedestrianisation, greening and cleaning of Paris

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

A lot of people deeply hate her. She won't seek another term next year but she endorsed a candidate: he lost her party's primary despite (or because of) her support. 

[sebastien1214]

tbh, it's mainly her personality that makes many people dislike Hidalgo (she's part of the right wing of the Socialist Party, so even on the left, she's not very popular). But generally speaking, Paris is even more in the left today than during the last municipal elections, and despite the right-wing hang-ups, there's a general consensus that the city has improved quite a bit over the past 10 years, and that the work undertaken in the city during Hidalgo's two terms as mayor has had a significant impact.

Moreover, in the latest poll for the municipal elections, for the first time, the Socialist Party candidate is beaten (or tied) by the Green candidate, who was one of Hidalgo's main deputies, and who is, of course, further left than Hidalgo (and the candidate from Mélenchon's party isn't far behind either).

[sebastien1214]

https://www.huffingtonpost.fr/france/article/a-paris-la-baignade-dans-la-seine-n-a-rendu-personne-malade-selon-l-ars-une-victoire-pour-la-mairie_253827.html

80,000 people bathed in the Seine (in the end it will probably be around 100,000), not a single person who fell ill because of the Seine: I think that speaks for itself and that it is enough to silence the last detractors.