Bernd Berkhan, coach of the German national swimming team, expressed his concern about the instability in determining the location of the open water swimming competitions during the 2024 Paris Olympics.
These competitions are supposed to be held on the Seine River in conjunction with the triathlon swimming competitions.
However, there is talk of the possibility of moving the open swimming events to the Olympic Rowing Channel due to high levels of bacteria in the River Seine during this period.
German Florian Willbrock, the 10-kilometre open-water swimming champion at the Tokyo Olympics, is considered a prominent candidate to repeat his achievement, but his preparations face challenges due to uncertainty about where the competitions will be held.
“It is frustrating for players preparing for competitions, as trying to hold competitions in the river remains a big risk,” Berkhan said in a press conference on Tuesday.
France spent nearly 1.4 billion euros to improve the water quality of the Seine River, while experts periodically examine the rate of bacteria, which remains very high.
The Olympic Games are scheduled to be held in Paris from July 26 to August 11, 2024, with the world eagerly awaiting the organizing committee’s decision on where to hold the open swimming competitions.
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