Frenchwoman Beaugrand, gold in women’s triathlon and British Yee in men’s

Paris. Frenchwoman Cassandre Beaugrand won the women’s triathlon at the 2024 Paris Olympics on Wednesday after swimming in a river Seine that was questioned until the last minute due to water quality.

This was not the only obstacle for the competitors. They also had to navigate a slippery pavement due to the rain at dawn, which caused several falls during the cycling section.

Beaugrand completed the race at the top of the Pont Alexandre III and collapsed from exhaustion and euphoria. He did so right on top of the “Paris 2024” logo, to the applause of the local crowd.

She clocked a time of 1 hour, 54 minutes and 55 seconds, beating Switzerland’s Julie Derron by six seconds, who took silver. Britain’s Beth Potter won the bronze medal.

The men’s race was due to start an hour after the women’s finish. It was originally due to take place on Tuesday but was postponed due to high levels of faecal bacteria in the water. Organisers said early on Wednesday that the latest tests showed that quality standards were being met.

A persistent drizzle eased before the triathletes took the plunge into the water. They began their course near the Pont Alexandre III, which spans the river. Many dipped their swimming goggles in the river before putting them on and diving in with the Eiffel Tower in the background.

The decision to go ahead with the swimming portion of triathlon events is a triumph for the city, the organizers and the athletes.

Authorities have launched an ambitious plan, including a 1.4 billion euro ($1.5 billion) infrastructure upgrade project to clean up the polluted river, and have insisted that the swimming portion of the competition and open water swimming events could be held safely in the river.

In the early hours of Wednesday, the organizers reported that the latest water analyses showed that it met quality standards. The decision was made after days of uncertainty following the heavy rains on Friday and Saturday.

High levels of bacteria in the Seine forced the men’s event to be postponed from Tuesday to Wednesday, when the women’s event was scheduled. Training sessions on Monday and Tuesday, which would have allowed the athletes to familiarise themselves with the waters, were cancelled for the same reason.

The water quality of the Seine is directly affected by rainfall, which leads to an overflow of wastewater that flows into the river.

Every day from Sunday onwards, organisers had to announce cancellations, but they remained confident that swimming would go ahead on the Seine the following day. On several days they published information on the levels of E. coli and other bacteria that contributed to the decision.

Tests are carried out daily to measure levels of the faecal bacteria E. coli. World Triathlon guidelines and the 2006 European Union directive have a range of levels from excellent to sufficient. But experts have said these are only guidelines.

Paris 2024 sports director Aurélie Merlie told reporters on Tuesday that samples are taken 21 and a half hours before a decision is made.

Merle said the results showed “we are close to the level” for triathlon.

“We know that the sun and the heat have a strong impact on water quality,” he said, hoping that the heat wave that hit France on Tuesday will help improve quality.

Organizers said the marathon swimming event, scheduled for August 8 and 9, could be moved to the Vaires-sur-Marne Nautical Stadium, which hosts the rowing and canoeing events.

Britain’s Alex Yee wins Olympic gold in men’s triathlon

Britain’s Alex Yee was crowned Olympic champion in the men’s triathlon at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games on Wednesday, a day after the event had to be postponed due to pollution levels in the River Seine, the site of the swimming leg.

Yee, 26, who finished runner-up in the individual event three years ago in Tokyo, beat the other favourite, New Zealander Hayden Wilde, in the gold medal match, while the bronze went to Frenchman Leo Bergère.

The Seine River is also expected to host the open water swimming competition at these Olympic Games.

Mexicans, far from the medals

Meanwhile, Mexicans Crisanto Grajales and Aram Michell Peñaflor finished their performance in the men’s triathlon in 39th and 47th positions, respectively.

Grajales, who was competing in his fourth Olympic event, finished with a time of 1:50:02 hours, while Peñaflor crossed the finish line with a time of 1:51:46 hours.

In the women’s category, Rosa Tapia was the athlete from the tricolor delegation who finished best in the triathlon event, finishing in 18th place, while Lizeth Rueda finished in 30th place.

Rueda also became the first Mexican woman to participate in two different events at the Olympic Games, having competed in open waters in London 2012 and in triathlon in Paris 2024.