Paralympics: Grace Norman’s bid for another gold on hold

Triathlon competitions in Paris postponed Sunday due to water quality in Seine River
Grace Norman on a training run in front of the Eiffel Tower at a Paralympic test event in Paris last year. CONTRIBUTED

Grace Norman on a training run in front of the Eiffel Tower at a Paralympic test event in Paris last year. CONTRIBUTED

PARIS — Grace Norman’s bid for another triathlon gold is on hold at the Paralympics.

The triathlon competitions in Paris scheduled for Sunday were postponed because of concerns about water quality in the Seine River after heavy rainfall, organizers said.

The 11 para triathlon events are now scheduled for Monday, if upcoming water testing allows, the Paris 2024 organizing committee and World Triathlon said in a joint statement.

Norman, a three-time paralympian from Jamestown, won gold in the triathlon in Paralympic Games in Rio in 2016 and silver in 2021 in Tokyo. The 2016 Xenia Christian High School and 2020 Cedarville University grad also won bronze in the 400-meter run in 2016.

Norman, 26, has won 11 medals at world championship events, including five golds.

Rainstorms hit the French capital Friday and Saturday. Heavy rains cause wastewater and runoff to flow into the river, leading to a rise in bacteria levels including E. Coli.

This is the second scheduled change for the para triathlon events. They had initially been scheduled to take place over two days, Sunday and Monday, but were moved to Sunday because of rain forecasts.

The disruption is another hiccup for the city’s efforts to clean up the river for future public swimming, one of Paris’ most ambitious promises ahead of hosting the Olympics and Paralympics this summer. The men’s individual triathlon event during the Paris Olympics was delayed and several test swims were canceled because of high E. coli levels after rainfall.

Some Olympic triathletes fell ill after swimming in the Seine, though it is unclear whether that was linked to the river water.

(Staff writer John Boyle contributed.)

About the Author