The swimming section of a paratriathlon test event for Tokyo 2020 was cancelled on Saturday due to high levels of bacteria in the water, the latest in a series of difficulties over water quality and temperature.
Olympic organisers have won widespread praise for their preparations but extreme summer heat and poor water quality have brought headaches at practice events, with less than a year to go until the opening ceremony.
The International Triathlon Union (ITU) shelved the swimming leg after tests showed levels of e-coli more than double the acceptable standard.
The 70 paratriathletes instead competed in a duathlon format with two runs and a bike race.
“I’m so sorry for athletes that we could not prepare the competition conditions effectively,” Shinichiro Otsuka, managing director of Japan’s Triathlon Union, told reporters. Read more
