Paris 2024 confirm 'last resort' option for Olympic triathlon to become a duathlon if the River Seine's water quality fails to improve - after the men's race was postponed

Olympic organiers confirmed the Paris 2024 triathlon could be changed into a duathlon as a 'last resort' should water quality fail to improve in the River Seine.

The potential move follows the postponement of the men's triathlon event this morning.

Both the men's and women's triathlon races are now scheduled to take place on Wednesday, with a further contingency day available on August 2.

Triathletes were set to take to the river this morning for a familiarisation session but World Triathlon and the organisation responsible for carrying out water quality tests deemed the standard had dipped below acceptable levels.

The Seine was declared clean enough for swimming after inspections in July but heavy rain in the French capital over the past 48 hours diminished the quality.

Paris 2024 and World Triathlon confirmed at a press conference that E-Coli bacteria was a concern, leading to the postponement of the men's race on Tuesday.

World Triathlon president Marisol Casado admitted that the organisation has been forced to change events from triathlons to duathlons in recent years, suggesting climate change has contributed.

Casado stressed the move has been necessary on occasion to avoid cancelling the events entirely.

'Unfortunately in the last five years we have had to change to duathlon to avoid cancelling the event, because if we cancel the event there are no medals or prize money in our [World Triathlon events],' Casado said.

'The climate has changed that we are facing.

'In some cases we have waves that are too high, in other moments we have electrical storms or something like that.

'We can finish and do a competition because our athletes really want to compete.

'I don't think it is unfair, it is another situation of the competition.'

Paris 2024 sport director Aurelie Merle revealed data on Tuesday showed only one of four points tested on the Seine was below World Triathlon's threshold for E-coli contamination.

Two were slightly above, while one was significantly above.

Merle confirmed switching the event to a duathlon was a 'last resort' option.

'We worked very closely with World Triathlon when it came to contingency plans,' Merle said. 

'The difference with marathon swimming is that either you swim or you cancel the race, while in the triathlon you still have the opportunity as a last resort to move to a duathlon.' 

World Triathlon president Casado added that there was confidence competition would be able to take place on Wednesday.

This comes despite weather forecasts suggesting further rain could fall on Tuesday. 

Strong thunderstorms, heavy rain, hail and lightning are expected from 6:00pm local time over the French capital.

A decision on whether Wednesday's triathlon races will go ahead will be made at 3:30 a.m. local time, with the contingency option for Friday. 

'At this point we are all disappointed, because we have not been able to follow strictly what is planned,' Casado said.

'I think we are all in a good mood and think we will have the opportunity because behind this issue we have the best possible people, that if it is necessary we can find another different moment in the week if we need.

'At this point, we are quite confident it will happen tomorrow and then we will be happy, all of us, especially the athletes.

Organisers have the option to drop the swimming and make the event a duathlon should water quality fail to improve sufficiently.

Such a move would be a major blow to organiers, with more than €1billion (£840,000/$1bn) was spent on cleaning up the river in preparation for the Games.

However, organisers knew heavy rain in the days before a competition could cause the levels of the harmful bacteria E. Coli to rise.

Swimming in the Seine, which dissects the city, has been banned since 1923.

In 1990, Jacques Chirac, then mayor of Paris, famously declared that he would make it clean enough to enter, but failed in his mission.

Earlier this month, following astonishing investment, current mayor Anne Hidalgo plunged in with a group of around 100 officials and swam around 100 metres.

Marathon swimming events are scheduled to take place in the River Seine, but organisers have a contingency, whereas the swim serves as the first leg of the triathlon event.