The discontent of the open water swimming athletes at the Paris Games has not subsided, as the competitions were organized in the Seine, considered by many to be too dirty and "polluted" .
«We trust in the International Olympic Committee, which has always guaranteed the health of athletes. If the competent authorities deem the waters of the Seine suitable for holding triathlon competitions and ensure the expected safety conditions, the Italians of the Italia Team will take part in the competitions without problems", Coni said in a note, adding: " Italia Team will not make any further statements on the matter, certain that the IOC will take the right decision to protect the athletes, the true protagonists of the Olympic Games."
But it is the athletes themselves who turn up their noses. «When you wake up at 4.20 to compete in the Olympics, and the race isn't there...», the controversial message posted on social media by the Norwegian Kristian Blummenfelt, Olympic champion of the specialty at Tokyo 2020, after the triathlon competition was postponed due to the river waters made dirty by the rain.
«If the priority is the health of the athletes - said the Belgian Marten van Riel, two Olympic bronze medalists - the race should have been moved elsewhere some time ago. We are just puppets in a puppet show,” he added.
For their part, the organizers, in the latest briefing, announced that they were optimistic, as "the values of the presence of bacteria in the Seine were this morning slightly higher than the limits set by the guidelines for bathing".
(Unioneonline)