Olympic men’s triathlon postponed as River Seine deemed too polluted

Paris’ Seine river is too polluted to be safe and the men’s triathlon race has been postponed to Wednesday. Officials blamed heavy rain for the problem.

The race, which was supposed to happen today, could face a further delay to Friday if river conditions do not improve, according to Olympic Officials. The women’s triathlon remains scheduled for Wednesday.

If the Seine is still unsafe for swimmers on Friday, the swimming leg of the race will be scrapped and athletes will compete in a duathlon.

Questions have swirled for months as to whether the water in the Seine is safe; swimming in the river has been banned for decades, but Paris officials have spent about $1.5 billion on cleaning it up for the Olympics. Earlier in July, the city’s mayor Anne Hidalgo swam in it to reassure the public about its safety.