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Thursday August 17th marked the start of the triathlon test event with the women's individual race. The event was a success for world's 65 best triathletes as well as for spectators.
By 8am, crowds of spectators were already lining the course to cheer on the world's best triathletes in the Seine swimming event. Held twelve months before of the Olympic Games, the competition provided an opportunity for the various event partners to get to grips with hosting such a competition; the COJO, the Ile-de-France region prefecture, the Paris Prefecture, the City of Paris and World Triathlon.
A look back at the event
First major event in the Seine for triathletes.
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Joséphine Brueder / Ville de Paris
The race is 1.5 km long.
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Guillaume Bontemps / Ville de Paris
The triathletes set off from Alexandre III bridge at 8:00 am.
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Guillaume Bontemps / Ville de Paris
The course is identical to that of the Paris 2024 Games.
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Joséphine Brueder / Ville de Paris
The water was almost 18 degrees for this first event.
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Joséphine Brueder / Ville de Paris
The 40km cycling route starts from the Alexandre III bridge.
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Guillaume Bontemps / Ville de Paris
The triathletes then rode through Paris, passing the Invalides and the Avenue des Champs-Elysées.
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Guillaume Bontemps / Ville de Paris
On this first day of competition, the fans were numerous.
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Joséphine Brueder / Ville de Paris
The tour continues on the Pont des Invalides.
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Joséphine Brueder / Ville de Paris
7 rounds are on the program for this Olympic event.
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Guillaume Bontemps / Ville de Paris
After swimming and biking, athletes took on the 10km race, which followed the same route as the bike, although it bypassed the Quai d'Orsay.
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Guillaume Bontemps / Ville de Paris
The event comprised 4 laps of 2.5 km each.
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Joséphine Brueder / Ville de Paris
Cassandre Beaugrand, France's number one.
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Joséphine Brueder / Ville de Paris
Britain's Beth Potter won the event, ahead of Cassandre Beaugrand and Germany's Laura Lindemann.
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Joséphine Brueder / Ville de Paris
Hosting this race was a first step towards hosting the triathlon, para triathlon and marathon swimming events that will take place during the Paris 2024 Games. They will also take place on the Seine, in the heart of the capital, at the Alexandre III bridge, at the foot of the Grand Palais and the Invalides on scenic and urban courses.
"The course is incredible, as is the atmosphere. We're really lucky to race here, and I hope to be here in a year's time!
French triathlete
That morning, the water was close to 18 degrees at the Pont Alexandre III. The course goes through the heart of the capital, which takes in the Champs-Elysées avenue and the Quai d'Orsay, and has been designed with the athletes in mind.
"It was a superb race, very well organized", said Emma Lombardi, who came fourth. "The spectators were great. It's a great venue, and a race in France, at home, is great !", confided the 21-year-old triathlete!
The course is identical to that of the Paris 2024 Games.
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Paris 2024.
With a time of 1h51'40'', over the combined 1.5 km swim, 40 km bike and 10 km run, Britain's Beth Potter came out on top, followed by France's Cassandre Beaugrand and Germany's Laura Lindemann. "It was magnificent! All the triathletes were telling me it was incredible," explained Cassandre Beaugrand, who has now qualified for the Games. We've never had such a beautiful place to run."
Beth Potter, the winner, also reflected on the atmosphere. "I was moved in the morning because it was unreal. Paris is such a cool place. It's a dream".
We were dreaming of this triathlon in Paris a few years ago when we put it in our bid. Today it's a reality.
Chairman of paris 2024
French and international spectators got a taste of the Games to come thanks to the event, which was a real success. "We're delighted to finally be out there," said Tony Estanguet. "This triathlon test event is a real satisfaction. We were dreaming of this triathlon in Paris a few years ago when we put it in our bid. Today it's a reality", the head of the Paris 2024 Committee explained.
The top 65 triathletes and their federations were present for the occasion. "Paris is an ideal city for triathlon. Swimming in the Seine was great," said Spanish triathlete Anna Godoy. "The bike course is really nice, there were lots of people. I think it's going to be a great triathlon next year, and I'm sure Paris will shine with this course."
Less than a year before the start of the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, the French capital has won unanimous acclaim thanks to this event, which delighted various stakeholders, such as Inaki Arenal Gonzalez, the Spanish federation's team leader. "Being in the center of Paris for a triathlon is spectacular," explained the Spaniard. "In terms of organization and staging, it's very good."
Bathing in the Seine will be possible in 2025
Between now and 2024, new infrastructures will be built to further improve rainwater treatment and water quality. Three permanent bathing sites on the Seine are already planned for 2025: Bras Marie, Bras de Grenelle and Quai de Bercy.
Efforts undertaken since 2016 with the Bathing Plan - supported by a 1.4 billion euro investment by the State and local authorities - have already led to significant progress: discharges of polluted water into the Seine have been divided by 10, and the number of fish species listed in the Seine has risen from 14 to 32 over the last 30 years.
At the beginning of June 2023, Seine water analysis carried out on the basis of current European regulations produced "excellent results". With one year to go before the Games, the deployment of the bathing plan, co-piloted by the French government and the City of Paris, continues to significantly improve the quality of the water in the Seine.
Will we really be able to swim in the Seine after the Games? The answer in our podcast
A look back at the men's triathlon
Great Britain's Alex Yee wins the men's triathlon, ahead of Portugal's Vasco Vilaça and Dorian Coninx.
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Guillaume Bontemps / Ville de Paris
The world's best triathletes were able to discover the Paris 2024 Games course.
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Guillaume Bontemps / Ville de Paris
Pierre Le Corre finished 4th, ahead of his compatriot Léo Bergère.
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Guillaume Bontemps / Ville de Paris
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