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World Triathlon announces major swim change, relaxing rules for acceptable water quality

World Triathlon announces major swim change, relaxing rules for acceptable water quality

World Triathlon has approved a series of changes to its Competition Rules , including a major one surrounding what is deemed acceptable water quality for…

Saturday, Feb 01

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World Triathlon has approved a series of changes to its Competition Rules , including a major one surrounding what is deemed acceptable water quality for races.

The updates follow a comprehensive review, led by the Technical Committee of the World Triathlon Sports Department following feedback from stakeholders. They came into effect from January 30, 2025.

Advertisement Water quality standards relaxed

The headline change relates to those water quality standards , which were a massive discussion point during, before and following last summer’s Paris 2024 Olympic Games. The topic hit the headlines with training swims for the triathlon event cancelled and the men’s individual race being rescheduled due to the River Seine’s unacceptable levels.

This was despite a much-hyped $1.5bn cleanup operation in the famous Parisian waterway, aimed at making it safe to swim in for the first time in a century.

Now, World Triathlon has relaxed the required acceptable levels of Enterococci and E.coli in swim courses from ‘excellent’ to ‘good’.

This means the acceptable level of Enterococci in ‘sea and transition water’ will rise from 100 to 200 per ml (cfu/100ml), with E-coli now set at 500ml, up from 250ml. Inland water limits have been increased to 400ml (Enterococci) and 1000ml (E-Coli).In addition, the decision to cancel a swim due to water quality concerns will now involve a collaborative assessment by a group that includes a Medical Committee representative, the Medical Delegate and the LOC Medical Director, rather than a single individual. Triathletes swim in the River Seine during the Olympic Games Test […]

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