Sport

Concerns raised over water quality in Seine river ahead of Olympic Games in Paris

Despite the city’s efforts to clean up the long-polluted river, the water has tested unsafe for humans in recent weeks, but cleaner on other days.

Published

1 year ago

July 16, 2024

Ariana News

With the Paris Olympics less than two weeks away, a question hangs over the Games: Will the Seine River be clean enough for athletes to swim in?

Triathlon and marathon swimming are scheduled to take place in the Seine, where it has been illegal to swim for more than a century.

Despite the city’s efforts to clean up the long-polluted river, the water has tested unsafe for humans in recent weeks, but cleaner on other days.

The Games run from July 26-Aug. 11.

To clean up the river, Paris invested 1.4 billion euros ($1.5 billion) in building infrastructure to catch more stormwater when it rains — the same water that contains bacteria-laden wastewater that enters the river during periods of heavy rain and makes it unsafe to swim in, Associated Press (AP)
reported

In May, Paris officials inaugurated a giant underground water storage basin next to the Austerlitz train station aimed at collecting excess rainwater and stopping wastewater from entering the Seine. The basin can hold the equivalent of 20 Olympic swimming pools of dirty water that will now be treated and is the centerpiece of major infrastructure improvements that the city has rushed to finish in time for the Games, but to also ensure that Parisians have a cleaner Seine in years to come.

But a few spells of heavy rain could push E. coli levels beyond the limit that the World Triathlon Federation has determined as safe for competitions.

“The Seine is not a special case,” said Metin Duran, a professor of civil and environmental engineering at Villanova University who has researched stormwater management. “It really is a complicated and very costly problem.”

Paris, like many old cities around the world, has a combined sewer system, which means that the city’s wastewater and stormwater flow through the same pipes. With heavy or prolonged periods of rain, the pipes’ capacity is reached, which means raw wastewater flows into the river instead of a treatment plant, AP reported.

On a daily basis, the monitoring group Eau de Paris has tested the river water, yielding results that showed unsafe E. coli levels in recent weeks followed by results in early July that showed improvement.

Paris Olympic organizers have said that if heavy rain affects the Seine’s flow during the Games, the triathlon would no longer feature the swimming portion — and the marathon swimming competition would be relocated to the Vaires-sur-Marne Nautical Stadium in the greater Paris region.

“It’s not very common, but it has happened a few times,” said Ollala Cernuda, head of communications at World Triathlon, an international body for the sport, about the possibility of the swim portion being canceled.

“And it’s always linked with water quality issues,” Cernuda said.

But organizers remain optimistic that drier, sunnier weather than what the French capital experienced in June will allow the events to go as planned — buffeted by the infrastructure upgrades. The sun’s ultraviolet rays kill bacteria like E. coli in water.

An AP analysis of weather data showed that in 2024, Paris has seen the second-most days with rain than any year since 1950, surpassed only by 2016.

Importantly for the Seine’s water quality, there have also been few stretches of days without rain.

Paris only experienced one week long dry spell this year — in early June, whereas between 1950 and 2020, it was typical for the city to have at least three such periods by the end of June, according to the analysis.

“Predictions of rainfall have become much more accurate up to a week in advance,” said Jennifer Francis, a scientist at the Woodwell Climate Research Center in Massachusetts. “But the seasonal patterns of past decades no longer provide reliable guidance in our warmer world.”

With the Games approaching, the feverish debate over the cleanliness of the Seine River has become a source of frustration for some athletes like Léonie Périault, a French triathlete who won a bronze medal in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

“Every time I meet someone, they worry that I’m going to swim in the Seine,” Périault said. “But I’ve been swimming in this river for several years now. In youth competitions, we swam regularly in the Seine and never had problems.”

Last year, Périault took part in a test event in the Seine.

“The setting was incredible with the Eiffel Tower as a backdrop and the water conditions were not worse than anywhere else in the world,” she said.

On Saturday, the French Sports Minister Amélie Oudéa-Castéra took a plunge to demonstrate that the famed river is clean enough. Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo has also said she would swim in the Seine this week, AP reported.

How to watch the Games.

For sports fans across the country, Ariana Television will broadcast the event exclusively across Afghanistan.

For broadcasting schedules, be sure to watch this space!

ATN secures exclusive rights to broadcast Paris 2024 Olympics

Related Topics:featured France Olympic Paris Paris 2024 Olympic Seine River Sport

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FC Goa to take on FC Istiklol in next AFC Champions League Two match

Published

6 hours ago

December 24, 2025

Ariana News

As FC Goa prepare to host FC Istiklol at the iconic Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in India, football fans are gearing up for an exciting AFC Champions League Two Group D clash.

In their previous encounter earlier in the tournament, Istiklol secured a 2‑0 victory over FC Goa in Tajikistan, with goals from Rustam Soirov and Reza Dehghani giving the visitors all three points.

Istiklol enter this rematch with strong momentum from their earlier win, while FC Goa are determined to claim their first points in the group. Goa will aim to turn the tables at home, leveraging the support of their fans at Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium to challenge Istiklol’s attacking threat.

The two teams have faced each other only a handful of times in continental competition. So far, Istiklol hold the edge in the head-to-head record, with the previous 2‑0 victory representing their only meeting in this season’s tournament. This sets the stage for a highly anticipated rematch as both clubs vie for crucial group points.

Experts say the midfield battle will be pivotal, determining possession and the tempo of the match. Istiklol’s continental experience may give them an edge, but Goa’s speed and technical skill — especially on home turf — could prove decisive in overturning their previous defeat.

Fans can expect a high-intensity clash and can tune in to Ariana Television at 1pm tomorrow, Thursday December 25, to watch the match.

Sport

ATN brings Winter and Summer Olympics live to Afghanistan

For the first time, viewers across Afghanistan will be able to follow the winter Olympic experience live on Ariana Television, from alpine skiing and ice hockey to skating and snowboarding, as the world’s best athletes compete across iconic Italian venues.

Published

6 hours ago

December 24, 2025

Ariana News

Ariana Radio and Television Network (ATN) has secured the exclusive rights to broadcast both the Winter and Summer Olympic Games live across Afghanistan, marking a major milestone for sports fans nationwide and reaffirming ATN’s position as the country’s home of world-class sport.

The first global spectacle to arrive on Afghan screens will be the 2026 Winter Olympic Games, set to take place in Milano–Cortina, Italy, from February 6 to 22, 2026.

That excitement will be followed by the 2028 Summer Olympic Games in Los Angeles, United States, scheduled for July 14 to 30, 2028. The LA Games will bring together more than 200 nations and thousands of athletes across dozens of sports, showcasing the pinnacle of global athletic achievement on one of the world’s biggest sporting stages.

With these landmark rights, ATN will deliver comprehensive, free-to-air Olympic coverage to millions of viewers across Afghanistan. The broadcasts will connect Afghan audiences to moments of inspiration, unity and sporting excellence that define the Olympic movement.

The Olympic deals further strengthen ATN’s rapidly growing sports portfolio, which already includes major international football, futsal and cricket competitions, and reflect the network’s ongoing commitment to bringing premium global content to Afghan viewers.

From the snow-covered mountains of Italy to the sunlit stadiums of Los Angeles, ATN is set to take Afghanistan on an unforgettable Olympic journey — celebrating sport, perseverance and the power of shared global moments, live on ATN.

Fans can stay informed by following Ariana News and Ariana Television’s social media pages where details including match times and dates of all sporting events broadcast are posted.

Sport

Cricket fever set to soar as ATN secures exclusive rights to air IPL in Afghanistan

With its extensive terrestrial reach, Ariana Television is uniquely positioned to deliver the IPL to households in cities, towns and remote areas alike.

Published

8 hours ago

December 24, 2025

Ariana News

Ariana Radio and Television Network (ATN) has delivered another major win for sports fans across Afghanistan, securing the live and exclusive broadcast rights to next year’s Indian Premier League (IPL) — one of the world’s most-watched and commercially powerful cricket tournaments.

The landmark agreement means millions of viewers across the country will be able to follow every boundary, wicket and nail-biting finish of the IPL free-to-air on Ariana Television, reaffirming ATN’s position as Afghanistan’s undisputed home of world-class sport.

Often described as the crown jewel of global T20 cricket, the IPL brings together the sport’s biggest superstars from around the world, including elite players from India, Afghanistan, Australia, England, South Africa, the West Indies and beyond.

Its high-octane format, packed stadiums and dramatic finishes have made it a global phenomenon, attracting hundreds of millions of viewers each season.

For Afghan cricket fans — among the most passionate and knowledgeable supporters in the world — the deal represents far more than just entertainment.

“This is a historic moment for sports broadcasting in Afghanistan,” an ATN spokesperson said. “Cricket is deeply woven into the fabric of Afghan society, and the IPL is the pinnacle of modern cricket. By securing exclusive rights, ATN is ensuring that Afghan viewers remain connected to the very best the sporting world has to offer.”

The agreement builds on ATN’s growing portfolio of premium international sports rights and follows a series of high-profile acquisitions that have elevated the network’s reputation well beyond the region.

With its extensive terrestrial reach, Ariana Television is uniquely positioned to deliver the IPL to households in cities, towns and remote areas alike.

Afghan players have also played an increasingly prominent role in the IPL in recent years, with stars such as Rashid Khan, Mohammad Nabi and Noor Ahmad among others becoming household names through their performances on the tournament’s biggest stages. Their success has inspired a new generation of Afghan cricketers — and fans — making the IPL’s availability in Afghanistan all the more significant.

Media analysts say the deal is a major boost for Afghanistan’s broadcast landscape, at a time when access to international sport remains limited in many parts of the world.

“Securing exclusive IPL rights is a statement of intent,” said one regional media expert. “It shows that ATN is not only competing at an international level, but winning. For advertisers, audiences and the wider sports industry, it reinforces Afghanistan as an active and engaged market.”

With this latest acquisition, ATN has once again proven its ability to bring the world’s biggest sporting spectacles directly into Afghan homes — ensuring that when the first ball of the IPL is bowled next year, Afghanistan will be watching live, together.

Fans can stay fully up to date by following Ariana News and Ariana Television across official social media platforms, where schedules, match times, broadcast dates, and the latest updates on all live sporting events are shared regularly.

Viewers are encouraged to follow these pages to ensure they don’t miss a moment of the world-class action being brought to screens across Afghanistan.