The city authorities announced on Friday the Paris Olympics opening ceremony rehearsal scheduled for Monday had been postponed due to the Seine River flowing too fast – France 24.
The Seine’s water level is currently five times its normal summer value. Such a level of water comes from the fact that several weeks witnessed dense rainy weather. Around 90 barges were to attend the rehearsal, which would carry the teams as they pass down the river during the ceremony on 26 July.
The recent heavy rain in the French capital is equally unfortunate news for the ongoing struggle to improve the water quality of the Seine to the level required for the triathlon and open water swimming events at the Olympic Games.
According to Paris Town Hall, the extremely rainy weather has caused the river to flow heavily, which is not helping to ensure good water quality. Earlier in the June 16 test, the Seine was too muddy to allow Olympic triathlon and open water swimming events to take place there, analysis showed on Friday.
In addition, according to graphs posted online, almost every day from June 10 to 16, the concentration level of fecal E.Coli bacteria exceeded 1,000 colony-forming units – the required threshold used by international triathlon and swimming federations. According to Paris region prefect Marc Guillaume, samples from the Seine fail to meet the standards France will have this summer for the river.
Paris 2024 will be the first Olympic Games in history to have its opening ceremony outside the traditional site of the Games’ main stadium. The Olympic Games will take place from 26 July to 11 August.
