Here is a thought. Why not experiment with a new format. Just start with a 10km run on the planned course and follow with a 40km bike ride on planned course after T1. Make the finish line like a bike race and take times. Transfer to pool and say 1 hrs later have stage two which would be a pursuit swim with your start time based on time gap after bike starting up lane 1 down lane 2 and keep doing that to lane 10 for 500m, exit and repeat three times for 1500m. First one across line wins (maybe an exit of the pool and a 50m sprint.
Great for spectators, you still get a triathlon and the bike course would not be such a snooze fest as there will be time gaps after the run. Maybe some pushing and shoving and blocking in the swim but why not ? Better than a duathlon and they just need a 1 hrs time slot at the Olympic pool around real swimming
There is actually a race in Versailles ttps://http://www.versaillesutriathlonfestival.com which could have fullfilled the ‘post card’ requirement’ and the race takes place in a pond, murky but not subject to rains/flooding.
If the race does not happen it will really look bad for the whole organization. Both the mayor and the president have been saying for months that they pledge to swim in the Seine in July when most people consider it foolish…
It 's funny how people disagreed on the course. Some, like Talbot i think, thought it was (looked) great, a TdF like postcard while other found the course uneventful and would lead to another boring run race.
This would be an awesome venue - the lake is tailor made! 1.5ks long, talk about a backdrop for the TV footage. I’m sure there are logistical considerations, but a race from there into the center of Paris (20ks away) would have been awesome. I’ll write the organizers a letter, I’m sure they’ll listen…
That sounds like way too much fun for any governing body to sign off on.
In my format probably Taylor Knibb just TTs away from the field. The rest of the women will play poker expecting the others to work and soft pedal while Knibb rides up the road and build enough of a gap that no Uber swimmer can catch her. To add to my format you have the run race at the main Olympic stadium track as the track events have not started in week one and anyone lapped gets tossed from the race.
Probably way too much fun and spectator friendly for world triathlon to sign off on.
Massive article on today’s French news discussion about recent water quality tests being worse than a few months ago and there is practically no hope of it improving enough for the Olympics. The chances of it being a duathlon were discussed and someone said NGBs should be preparing now for a duathlon.
Soooooooo. The athletes who automatically spring to mind who would benefit from a duathlon are Potter, Beaugrand, Lombardi, Jorgensen and GTB. I know some of these are yet to be selected but would/should that influence selections? Particularly USA.
what a suprise that water quality is worse in the winter …
Most rainy days are in January, March, May, November and December.On average, January is the most rainy with 17 days of rain/snow.On average, July is the driest month with 11 rainy days.
Lowest number of days does not mean driest. July is a fairly high rainfall month in Paris according to most sources. High volume of rain over few days is likely to cause a bigger issue for drainage systems than lower volume spread out over many days.
My N=1 is that pretty much every time I have been on holiday to France in July or August (used to go most years) there has been great weather for a lot of the time but always at least one huge storm.
(10 April)Massive article on today’s French news discussion about recent water quality tests . . .
what a suprise that water quality is worse in the winter . . .
Lowest number of days does not mean driest. July is a fairly high rainfall month in Paris according to most sources. High volume of rain over few days is likely to cause a bigger issue for drainage systems than lower volume spread out over many days.
My N=1 is that pretty much every time I have been on holiday to France in July or August (used to go most years) there has been great weather for a lot of the time but always at least one huge storm.Well here’s an excellent reputable ‘source’: https://www.meteoblue.com/en/weather/historyclimate/climatemodelled/paris_france_2988507
On average there are 2 days in July where rainfall is over 5mm (<1/5") and in August it’s one day in the month. The average for >10mm rain is . . . Zero; same as the number of woman-knibbling sharks circling Alcatraz in June.
The new Austerlitz basins can ‘easily’ cope with that, by design. And if there’s a freak storm, the races can be delayed to allow the storm water (and resulting reduced water quality) to flow downstream and tranquility (and great water quality) to return.
Now, back to Dev and his fertile mind / cunning ideas; or, offering more entertainment, shark stories.
(10 April)Massive article on today’s French news discussion about recent water quality tests . . .
what a suprise that water quality is worse in the winter . . .
Lowest number of days does not mean driest. July is a fairly high rainfall month in Paris according to most sources. High volume of rain over few days is likely to cause a bigger issue for drainage systems than lower volume spread out over many days.
My N=1 is that pretty much every time I have been on holiday to France in July or August (used to go most years) there has been great weather for a lot of the time but always at least one huge storm.Well here’s an excellent reputable ‘source’: https://www.meteoblue.com/...paris_france_2988507
On average there are 2 days in July where rainfall is over 5mm (<1/5") and in August it’s one day in the month. The average for >10mm rain is . . . Zero; same as the number of woman-knibbling sharks circling Alcatraz in June.
The new Austerlitz basins can ‘easily’ cope with that, by design. And if there’s a freak storm, the races can be delayed to allow the storm water (and resulting reduced water quality) to flow downstream and tranquility (and great water quality) to return.
Now, back to Dev and his fertile mind / cunning ideas; or, offering more entertainment, shark stories.
It is raining again today and the water quality data isn’t out of date. It is regularly reported on the evening news that the basin isn’t working all the time, they are having problems with it.
I am not sure it has passed on two consecutive days ever.
https://www.meteoblue.com/...paris_france_2988507
On average there are 2 days in July where rainfall is over 5mm (<1/5") and in August it’s one day in the month. The average for >10mm rain is . . . ZeroIt is raining again today and the water quality data isn’t out of date. It is regularly reported on the evening news that the basin isn’t working all the time, they are having problems with it.
I am not sure it has passed on two consecutive days ever.Link to the daily/weekly reporting data, perhaps?
https://www.meteoblue.com/...paris_france_2988507
On average there are 2 days in July where rainfall is over 5mm (<1/5") and in August it’s one day in the month. The average for >10mm rain is . . . ZeroIt is raining again today and the water quality data isn’t out of date. It is regularly reported on the evening news that the basin isn’t working all the time, they are having problems with it.
I am not sure it has passed on two consecutive days ever.Link to the daily/weekly reporting data, perhaps?
Why don’t they arrange for a proper plan B is beyond me. Hasn’t World Triathlon learned nothing from the disaster in Madrid last year?
We can’t be here hoping it doesn’t rain, that’s ridiculous.
https://www.meteoblue.com/...paris_france_2988507
On average there are 2 days in July where rainfall is over 5mm (<1/5") and in August it’s one day in the month. The average for >10mm rain is . . . ZeroIt is raining again today and the water quality data isn’t out of date. It is regularly reported on the evening news that the basin isn’t working all the time, they are having problems with it.
I am not sure it has passed on two consecutive days ever.Link to the daily/weekly reporting data, perhaps?
Why don’t they arrange for a proper plan B is beyond me. Hasn’t World Triathlon learned nothing from the disaster in Madrid last year?
We can’t be here hoping it doesn’t rain, that’s ridiculous.
Apparently open water swimming has a plan b …
At the same time I don’t think this race is organised by world triathlon.
https://www.meteoblue.com/...paris_france_2988507
On average there are 2 days in July where rainfall is over 5mm (<1/5") and in August it’s one day in the month. The average for >10mm rain is . . . ZeroIt is raining again today and the water quality data isn’t out of date. It is regularly reported on the evening news that the basin isn’t working all the time, they are having problems with it.
I am not sure it has passed on two consecutive days ever.Link to the daily/weekly reporting data, perhaps?
Why don’t they arrange for a proper plan B is beyond me. Hasn’t World Triathlon learned nothing from the disaster in Madrid last year?
We can’t be here hoping it doesn’t rain, that’s ridiculous.
Apparently open water swimming has a plan b …
At the same time I don’t think this race is organised by world triathlon.
what’s the plan b? Couldn’t find anything from a quick google.
well even if it’s not WT organizing, I think Madrid should be a burning lesson for a medal event in olympic distance racing…
The location was not fit for swimming, regardless of the weather conditions - algae, dead rats, e.coli, waste discharges…
Don’t see much difference in the Seine, they’ve been trying for years and it’s never clean enough…unless they magically make up a report with values under the limits on the day
Even now at this late stage they have time to find another less risky swim venue. In reality though, there will be a swim in the Seine irrespective of water quality. Test ‘results’ in advance of the race will be fine! It could make the MTR even more interesting a few days later though.
I really don’t understand what you’re saying to me.
I wrote on page 3 of this thread what the plan B is, and what the plan C is.
If you’re suggesting what I wrote is not true, all I can do is give you a source: Kris Gemmel from World Triathlon in his most recent ProTriNews interview in episode 154 aired on March 20th.
I really don’t understand what you’re saying to me.
I wrote on page 3 of this thread what the plan B is, and what the plan C is.
If you’re suggesting what I wrote is not true, all I can do is give you a source: Kris Gemmel from World Triathlon in his most recent ProTriNews interview in episode 154 aired on March 20th.
I’m sorry that is not a plan B. A proper plan B would be to have a triathlon with a different location for the swim. Wait and hope or do a duathlon is a joke.
As said, they pulled the same shit in Madrid, and it was indeed, shit.
I wrote on page 3 of this thread what the plan B is, and what the plan C is.
. . . source: Kris Gemmel from World Triathlon in his most recent ProTriNews interview in episode 154 aired on March 20th.I’m sorry that is not a plan B. A proper plan B would be to have a triathlon with a different location for the swim. Wait and hope or do a duathlon is a joke.Plan A: **current **plan and dates
The hazard is poor water quality below the required standard as a result of (combo) storm level rain and sewage discharge up river.
The second element of the hazard has been addressed (minimised to ALARP) by legislative action and enforcement. The risk of the first part has been mitigated by the Austerlitz basins.
The risk is the hazard’s occurrence on specific days (30/31 July and 4 August, and 8/9 August (OW 10km)).
The likelihood of this risk manifesting is dependent on an unlikely weather event (of a magnitude greater than even the mitigations above can handle) the day before.
This likelihood is not negligible. So Plan B:postpone the dates of competition is how that is addressed to render the risk ALARP.
But the likelihood of a prolonged adverse weather event to the extent that Plan B cannot address IS negligible. And even then Plan C: duathlon (which absolutely noone wants, least of all Paris, France and the IOC organisers) is there to address the edge concerns of irrational gloom-mongers.
HTH
Also keep in mind that there’s plenty of wiggle room in the World Triathlon regulations regarding water quality. https://www.slowtwitch.com/...u_Swim_In__8960.htmlI reckoned including that would cloudy the waters (of hazard x likelihood = risk articulation ^ ^ ). Thank you and Doug for the article which might usefully have been advertised on this thread on publication.
I note:
World Triathlon requires that venues measure and submit water quality testing data at least 4 times:
on announcement (2022)
a year ahead (so late July 2023 a fortnight pre-Test event)
Two months before the event
This will have been measured/submitted a week ago (to World Tri). Perhaps they will share the good news . . . (holds breath).