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Olympics-Triathlon-Men's race delayed to Wednesday due to Seine pollution levels

The men's triathlon at the Paris Olympics will not proceed as planned on Tuesday as contamination levels in the Seine stay expensive, World Triathlon said in a declaration.

The race has been held off to Wednesday at 10:45 a.m. (0845 GMT), immediately after the ladies's occasion, which is arranged for 8 a.m.

. The choice is a blow to organisers who formerly said they were positive water quality would improve in time for the race after heavy rains last Friday and Saturday dirtied the river.

The 55 triathletes who were primed to contend on Tuesday now deal with more uncertainty.

Regardless of the improvement of water quality levels over the last hours, the readings eventuallies of the swim course are still above the acceptable limitations, organisers stated.

World Triathlon will meet coaches at 8 a.m. on Tuesday to offer them with all the details and the upgraded schedule for the race, they said.

If levels of bacteria remain too high by Wednesday early morning, both the males's and females's races are likely to be held off to Friday, the contingency day booked for the events.

For the blended triathlon relay occasion on Aug. 5, the contingency day is Aug. 6.

Paris authorities have guaranteed to make the Seine swimmable as a key tradition of the Games, and invested 1.4 billion euros ($1.51 billion) on wastewater infrastructure to consist of sewage and minimise spillage into the waterway.

Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo took a dip in the river herself previously this month, in a quote to convince skeptics.

The gamble that the river would be clean enough for the triathlon was never ever ensured to pay off, particularly as water quality varies commonly day-to-day.

Rain considerably increases concentrations of infection-causing bacteria like E. coli and enterococci.

(source: Reuters)