What do athletes who swim in the Seine risk?

Alessandro Miani (Sima):"Significant progress has been made to improve water quality, but health hazards cannot be completely eliminated"

ROME – The women's and men's Triathlon races in the Seine will take place at the Paris Olympics this morning, while cross-country swimming will have to wait. The fear of many is that the health of the athletes who dived is at risk. “Significant progress has been made to improve the quality of the Seine's water, but health risks cannot be completely eliminated.Continuous monitoring and rigorous security measures will be essential to ensure the protection of athletes during competitions", replies Alessandro Miani, president of the Italian Society of Environmental Medicine (Sima), to Dire, who adds:“Risking even just catching a fever or having gastroenteritis one evening means ruining the Olympics.The concern of male and female athletes is understandable.There will be important checks and dilutions of any pathogenic substances of microbiological and chemical-physical origin, but with the Sinner case we have seen how a single fever or a cold is enough to make an athlete withdraw after years of preparation.For some sports, the Olympics are the center of an athlete's career potential,” warns Miani.

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Water quality and associated health risks are, therefore, “crucial issues for the safety of athletes”.Here is a detailed analysis of the situation carried out by Sima:

Water Quality Improvements:

However, Sima declares that "despite efforts to improve water quality, there are still potential health risks”:

According to the scientific society, these are the safety measures undertaken.To mitigate the risks, says Miani, the Olympic organizing committee and the local authorities are implementing several measures:

1. Health Protocols:Prevention and rapid response measures for any cases of infection among athletes.

2. Regular checks:Frequent water quality checks to ensure compliance with safety standards.

3. Data Transparency:Regular publication of water quality data to ensure transparency and trust among athletes and the public.