Olympic triathlon mixed relay goes ahead with swims in the Seine amid water quality concerns

PARIS (AP) — Olympic triathletes plunged into the Seine River Monday morning as the mixed relay event got underway after organizers said the bacteria levels in the long-polluted Paris waterway were at acceptable levels.

The plan to hold the swimming portion of the triathlons and the marathon swimming events in the Seine was an ambitious one. Swimming in the river has, with some exceptions, been off-limits since 1923 because it has been too toxic.

Representatives from World Triathlon and the International Olympic Committee along with Paris Games organizers and regional and weather authorities met Sunday night to review water tests. The results indicated the water quality at the triathlon site had improved over the preceding hours and would be within the limits mandated by World Triathlon by Monday morning, they said in a statement.

In a very close sprint finish, the team from Germany won the gold medal, with the United States taking silver and Britain clinching bronze.

The decision to allow the event to go forward with swims in the Seine came after Belgium’s Olympic committee announced Sunday that it would withdraw its team from the mixed relay triathlon after one of its competitors who swam in the river last week fell ill. It was not clear whether her illness had anything to do with her swim in the Seine.

Paris spent 1.4 billion euros ($1.5 billion) on infrastructure improvements to clean up the river that flows through its center. That included the construction of a giant basin to capture excess rainwater and keep wastewater from flowing into the river, renovating sewer infrastructure and upgrading wastewater treatment plants.

Heavy rains that have fallen off and on during the Games have caused headaches for organizers as they result in elevated levels of fecal bacteria, including E. coli and enterococci, flowing into the river. Drenching rains fell Thursday night, but conditions had otherwise been dry except for light rain Saturday evening. The sun shone brightly as the race unfolded Monday and athletes said organizers reassured them that there were no concerns with water quality.

Organizers have continued to express confidence that warm temperatures and the sun’s ultraviolet rays would combine to kill enough of the germs ahead of each event set to include a swim in the Seine.

Athletes swam in the river for the men’s and women’s individual triathlons Wednesday, though the men’s race had been delayed by a day because of the water quality. Elevated bacteria levels in the waterway have caused cancellations of the swimming portion of training sessions for the relay event.

American triathlete Taylor Spivey said the uncertainty was difficult.

“I mean, everyone watching can see what an incredible venue this was for, for the triathlon,” she said, noting that organizers clearly chose the course location for the backdrop of Paris monuments, which included the Eiffel Tower and the Champs-Elysees. “But the constant question of the water quality, the water quality and the current, was very stressful for the athletes, I would say, because there the contingency plan was only to push the race back, not necessarily like a plan B location.”

Her teammate, Morgan Pearson, said the last-minute changes in plans were unfair to the athletes and fans. He also was tired of talking about the water quality in the Seine: “I’ve been getting asked this question for the last year. I qualified a year ago, and I think, no pun intended, we’re all just a little bit sick of the question.”

Brazilian triathlete Arnold Djenyfer said the water was fine Monday.

“There was really no difference about the quality of the water today compared to the first race," he said. "We already knew what we were going to face and it was all fine.”

Vetle Bergsvik Thorn of Norway, who competed Monday, was one of several triathletes who fell ill after swimming in the Seine last Wednesday. He said he had a bad stomach illness for about 12 hours but said “it's hard to say if it's the river or just some ordinary food poisoning.”

“It’s been quite a few stressful days with not knowing if we can swim or not,” he said.

Swiss officials announced Saturday that triathlete Adrien Briffod, who had competed in the Seine on Wednesday, would not compete Monday after falling ill with a stomach infection. On Sunday, they announced that Simon Westermann, who had been tapped to replace Briffod, also had to withdraw because of a gastrointestinal infection. Westermann had not participated in any swims in the Seine.

Switzerland's Julie Derron, who won silver in the women's individual triathlon, said the team had experienced “a bit of turbulence” in recent days. But she said that, overall, the experience has been a good one.

“I think it was challenging conditions obviously, to hold the race, but I think the pictures, the memories that we take away, they’re incredible,” she said.

Daily water quality tests measure levels of the fecal bacteria, including E. coli. World Triathlon’s water safety guidelines and a 2006 European Union directive assign qualitative values to a range of E. coli levels.

Under World Triathlon’s guidelines, E. coli levels up to 1,000 colony-forming units per 100 milliliters can be considered “good” and can allow competitions to go forward.

The triathlon mixed relay involves four-person teams made up of two men and two women, with each athlete swimming for 300 meters (yards), cycling for 6.8 kilometers (4.2 miles) and running for 2 kilometers (1.2 miles).

AP Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games

Germany's Laura Lindemann celebrates after winning the gold medal at end of the mixed relay triathlon at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Monday, Aug. 5, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)

Gold medal winners team Germany, pose with silver medalists, team from the United States, left, and bronze medal winners from Britain, right, at the end of the medal ceremony for the mixed relay triathlon at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Monday, Aug. 5, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Dar Yasin)

Gold medal winners Germany's Tim Hellwig, Lisa Tertsch, Lasse Luehrs, Laura Lindemann pose with their medals during a medal ceremony for the mixed relay triathlon at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Monday, Aug. 5, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Dar Yasin)

Germany's Laura Lindemann, left, celebrates after winning the gold medal next to bronze medalist Britain's Beth Potter, center, and silver medalist Taylor Knibb, of the United States,right, at end of the mixed relay triathlon at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Monday, Aug. 5, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)

Germany's Laura Lindemann, lef, Britain's Beth Potter, center, and Taylor Knibb, of the United States, right, run to the finish line at the end of the mixed relay triathlon at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Monday, Aug. 5, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)

Germany's Laura Lindemann, down and Germany's Tim Hellwig, up, celebrate after winning the gold medal at end of the mixed relay triathlon at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Monday, Aug. 5, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Dar Yasin)

Athletes compete during the mixed relay triathlon at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Monday, Aug. 5, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/David Goldman)

Spain's Alberto Gonzales Garcia competes during the swim leg of mixed relay triathlon at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Monday, Aug. 5, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/David Goldman)

Athletes dive into the water for the start of the mixed relay triathlon at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Monday, Aug. 5, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Dar Yasin)

France's Pierre Le Corre competes during the swim leg of mixed relay triathlon at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Monday, Aug. 5, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/David Goldman)

Italy's Gianluca Pozzatti exits the water at the end of the swim leg of mixed relay triathlon at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Monday, Aug. 5, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/David Goldman)

Athletes compete during the swim leg of mixed relay triathlon at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Monday, Aug. 5, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/David Goldman)

Mitch Kolkman, of the Netherlands, dives into the water for the start of the mixed relay triathlon at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Monday, Aug. 5, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)

Athletes dive into the water for the start of the mixed relay triathlon at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Monday, Aug. 5, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)

FILE - Australia's Natalie Van Coevorden (15), Belgium's Claire Michel (5) and Ekaterina Shabalina, of Kazakhstan (32) compete in the swim leg of the women's individual triathlon competition at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Wednesday, July 31, 2024, in Paris, France. Belgium's Olympic committee announced Sunday Aug.4, 2024 that it would withdraw its team from the mixed relay triathlon at the Paris Olympics after one of its competitors who swam in the Seine River fell ill. Claire Michel, who competed in the women's triathlon Wednesday, "is unfortunately ill and will have to withdraw from the competition," the Belgian Olympic and Interfederal Committee said in a statement. (AP Photo/David Goldman, File)

Waves crash along the banks of the Seine River in front of the Eiffel Tower during the 2024 Summer Olympics, Monday, July 29, 2024, in Paris. As the Olympics continue in Paris, the Seine River's water quality remains a major area of concern for officials. Organizers of the triathlon event cancelled swimming practice on Monday for the second day in a row because of poor water quality. Event organizers hope sunny weather will make swimming viable on Tuesday when the triathlon begins. (AP Photo/David Goldman)

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — It's noisy, smelly, shy — and New Zealand’s bird of the year.

The hoiho, or yellow-eyed penguin, won the country’s fiercely fought avian election on Monday, offering hope to supporters of the endangered bird that recognition from its victory might prompt a revival of the species.

It followed a campaign for the annual Bird of the Year vote that was without the foreign interference scandals and cheating controversies of past polls. Instead, campaigners in the long-running contest sought votes in the usual ways — launching meme wars, seeking celebrity endorsements and even getting tattoos to prove their loyalty.

More than 50,000 people voted in the poll, 300,000 fewer than last year, when British late night host John Oliver drove a humorous campaign for the pūteketeke -- a “deeply weird bird” which eats and vomits its own feathers – securing a landslide win.

This year, the number of votes cast represented 1% of the population of New Zealand — a country where nature is never far away and where a love of native birds is instilled in citizens from childhood.

“Birds are our heart and soul,” said Emma Rawson, who campaigned for the fourth-placed ruru, a small brown owl with a melancholic call. New Zealand's only native mammals are bats and marine species, putting the spotlight on its birds, which are beloved — and often rare.

This year's victor, the hoiho — its name means “noise shouter” in the Māori language — is a shy bird thought to be the world's rarest penguin. Only found on New Zealand's South and Chatham islands — and on subantarctic islands south of the country — numbers have dropped perilously by 78% in the past 15 years.

“This spotlight couldn’t have come at a better time. This iconic penguin is disappearing from mainland Aotearoa before our eyes,” Nicola Toki, chief executive of Forest & Bird — the organization that runs the poll — said in a press release, using the Māori name for New Zealand. Despite intensive conservation efforts on land, she said, the birds drown in nets and sea and can't find enough food.

“The campaign has raised awareness, but what we really hope is that it brings tangible support,” said Charlie Buchan, campaign manager for the hoiho. But while the bird is struggling, it attracted a star billing in the poll: celebrity endorsements flew in from English zoologist Jane Goodall, host of the Amazing Race Phil Keoghan, and two former New Zealand prime ministers.

Aspiring bird campaign managers — this year ranging from power companies to high school students — submit applications to Forest & Bird for the posts. The hoiho bid was run by a collective of wildlife groups, a museum, a brewery and a rugby team in the city of Dunedin, where the bird is found on mainland New Zealand, making it the highest-powered campaign of the 2024 vote.

“I do feel like we were the scrappy underdog,” said Emily Bull, a spokesperson for the runner-up campaign, for the karure — a small, “goth” black robin only found on New Zealand’s Chatham Island.

The karure's bid was directed by the students’ association at Victoria University of Wellington, prompting a fierce skirmish on the college campus when the student magazine staged an opposing campaign for the kororā, or little blue penguin.

The rivalry provoked a meme war and students in bird costumes. Several people got tattoos. When the magazine’s campaign secured endorsements of the city council and local zoo, Bull despaired for the black robin's bid.

But the karure — which has performed a real-life comeback since the 1980s, with conservation efforts increasing the species from five birds to 250 — took second place overall.

This weekend as Rawson wrapped up her campaign for the ruru, she took her efforts directly to the people, courting votes at a local dog park. The veteran campaign manager who has directed the bids for other birds in past years was rewarded by the ruru placing fourth in the poll, her best ever result.

“I have not been in human political campaigning before,” said Rawson, who is drawn to the competition because of the funds and awareness it generates. The campaign struck a more sedate tone this year, she added.

“There’s been no international interference, even though that was actually a lot of fun,” she said, referring to Oliver’s high-profile campaign.

It was not the only controversy the election has seen. While anyone in the world can vote, Forest & Bird now requires electors to verify their ballots after foreign interference plagued the contest before. In 2018, Australian pranksters cast hundreds of fraudulent votes in favor of the shag.

The following year, Forest & Bird was forced to clarify that a flurry of votes from Russia appeared to be from legitimate bird-lovers.

While campaigns are fiercely competitive, managers described tactics more akin to pro wrestling — in which fights are scripted — than divisive political contests.

“Sometimes people want to make posts that are kind of like beefy with you and they’ll always message you and be like, hey, is it okay if I post this?” Bull said. “There is a really sweet community. It's really wholesome.”

This story corrects percentage to 1% instead of 10%.

A karure, or Chatham Islands black robin pictured on Chatham Island in Sept. 2016 is runner-up to a hoiho or yellow-eyed penguin in the New Zealand Bird of the Year competition, announced Monday, Sept. 16, 2024. (Oscar Thomas via AP)

A man rides past a mural celebrating John Oliver's New Zealand's 2023 Bird of the Year campaign in Wellington, New Zealand, Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Charlotte GrahamMcLay)

A hoiho or yellow-eyed penguin pictured on April 2, 2023, has won New Zealand's annual Bird of the Year vote, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024, after a fierce contest absent the foreign interference and controversies that have upset the country's avian elections before. (Hayden Parsons via AP)

A hoiho or yellow-eyed penguin pictured on April 2, 2023, has won New Zealand's annual Bird of the Year vote, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024, after a fierce contest absent the foreign interference and controversies that have upset the country's avian elections before. (Hayden Parsons via AP)

A hoiho or yellow-eyed penguin pictured on April 2, 2023, has won New Zealand's annual Bird of the Year vote, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024, after a fierce contest absent the foreign interference and controversies that have upset the country's avian elections before. (Hayden Parsons via AP)

A hoiho or yellow-eyed penguin pictured on April 2, 2023, has won New Zealand's annual Bird of the Year vote, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024, after a fierce contest absent the foreign interference and controversies that have upset the country's avian elections before. (Hayden Parsons via AP)