Seine marathon swimming-practice day cancelled

The marathon swimming practice session scheduled for Tuesday in the river Seine has been cancelled, Paris Olympics organisers said.

Ireland's gold and bronze medal winner Daniel Wiffen is due to take part in the 10k open water event, but had previously confirmed that he would not be involved in the practice session due to water quality concerns.

"I've decided that I’m not going to swim in the Seine until race day, I don’t want to have to deal with any illness before the race. It’s going to be a very new thing because I’m going in blind, it’s going to be a fun one," Wiffen said.

Organisers did not provide a reason for the cancellation but said further information would be made available later on Tuesday. A team leaders meeting and a coaches briefing would still go ahead as planned.

"After the daily situation meeting this morning between Ville de Paris, Paris 2024 and World Aquatics, it has been decided that the familiarisation session to take place today, 6 August 2024, is cancelled," World Aquatics said in a statement.

Training sessions for the swim leg of the triathlon were also cancelled and the men's race was postponed at the last minute because bacteria levels in the river were too high.

The triathlon mixed relay went ahead as scheduled on Monday after organisers gave the all clear the day before, acknowledging athletes' demands for more certainty.

French authorities have spent €1.4 billion on upgrading the capital's sewage systems, promising the river will be clean enough for residents to swim in by next summer.

The women's and men's marathon swim races are scheduled for Thursday and Friday, but there is the possibility that they could be moved to the rowing venue.