France made the decision to cancel the World Cup Open Water Swimming Championship, initially scheduled to be held from Sunday to Monday in the Seine River in Paris, due to concerns about water quality. The adverse condition of the river’s water was attributed to the recent heavy rainfall that inundated the French capital.
The World Cup Open Water Swimming Championship serves as a test event preceding the Summer Olympic Games, set to be hosted by France next year.
In a statement, the organizing entity, World Aquatics, expressed, “Following the above-average rainfall recently experienced in Paris, the water quality in the Seine River failed to meet the acceptable standards to ensure the health and safety of the competing swimmers. After consulting with public health authorities and our event partners, we’ve made the decision to cancel the event,” as reported by the French newspaper, Le Monde.
In light of the cancellation, the French Swimming Federation called for intensified efforts to prevent similar issues in 2024, the year Paris is slated to host the Summer Olympic Games.
The 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris are scheduled to take place from July 26th to August 11th.
