Drastic Olympic move: – Never done before

There are less than 100 days until the Summer Olympic Games in Paris kick off in the French capital.

Earlier in April, the Surfrider Foundation, a charity, raised the alarm about the water quality of the Seine in Paris.

The organization had analyzed six months of tests carried out by a laboratory. The conclusion was that the river water was polluted and potentially dangerous for the athletes. In an open letter, the organization called it “a growing concern”.

– They will swim in contaminated water and expose themselves to significant health risks, wrote the Surfrider Foundation.

The famous waterway in the French capital gets a starring role during this summer’s games. The opening ceremony will take place on the Seine, and marathon swimming, triathlon and paratriathlon will take place there – if the water quality is good enough.

AFP writes that around 1.4 billion euros, around NOK 16 billion, have been spent on upgrading the sewer system and taking other measures to improve quality.

Get vaccinated

The Surfrider Foundation stated that several measurements showed levels of bacteria twice as high as European water quality standards – the same standard used by the international triathlon and swimming federations.

The uncertainty surrounding the water quality has caused the British swimmers to take action ahead of the Olympics in Paris.

– We will take typhoid and hepatitis A vaccines beforehand and we will take antibiotics after the race, regardless of what the water tests show, says Hector Pardoe, who swims for Great Britain in BEERto the Independent.

Before he continues:

– I have never had to take such precautions before, but the last thing we want is to put any of us in danger, so we are very careful in the run-up to Paris, explains Pardoe.

Close dialogue

Despite the fact that the British Olympic swimmers are now taking action ahead of the swimming exercises in Paris, the Norwegian national triathlon team has no similar plans for the time being.

– Have you considered similar measures as the British do?

– We have not done that. In any case, there will be a close dialogue with the doctors at Olympiatoppen and the doctors who follow us up in relation to it. At least they have not taken any initiative to do so, but it is not unlikely that we will check with them. We have not received any specific recommendation, other than the usual vaccines that must be in place, sports manager Arild Tveiten tells Dagbladet.

He emphasizes that Olympiatoppen is in frequent contact with the Olympic organizer and that they have the latest information.

– If they had known something that indicated something, then we would also have been recommended. If they think there is a point, Tveiten explains.

Should the organizer not overcome the problem, it could lead to the swimming part being replaced by running. It is a scenario the national triathlon team is prepared for.

– We keep that in mind and train a bit in relation to that as well. The starting point is that, for the time being, we choose to be quite optimistic in believing that they will get it done, because it is a very prestigious project for them to have clean water. Although I know it looks dark, the sporting director concludes.