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Paris Games to Fly Giant Flag from Eiffel Tower

A woman, wearing a mask, rides her bicycle near the Eiffel tower at Trocadero square in Paris. Reuters
A woman, wearing a mask, rides her bicycle near the Eiffel tower at Trocadero square in Paris. Reuters
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Paris Games to Fly Giant Flag from Eiffel Tower

A woman, wearing a mask, rides her bicycle near the Eiffel tower at Trocadero square in Paris. Reuters
A woman, wearing a mask, rides her bicycle near the Eiffel tower at Trocadero square in Paris. Reuters

Organizers of the 2024 Paris Olympics have said they will use the Eiffel Tower to unfurl “the biggest flag ever flown” on Sunday during the closing ceremony in Tokyo.

Paris organizing committee president Tony Estanguet talked about the plan in Tokyo to promote the formal handover on Sunday to the next Summer Games host.

A giant flag had a test flight from the iconic Parisian landmark two months ago, though the exact reason was not explained then.

The mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, is in Tokyo to take part in the traditional handover during the closing ceremony.

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Triathlon-Swimming Training Session Cancelled after Rain Lifts Pollution Levels in Seine

The sun sets over the Seine river next to the Louvre museum, at right, during the 2024 Summer Olympics, Saturday, July 27, 2024, in Paris. (AP Photo/David Goldman)
The sun sets over the Seine river next to the Louvre museum, at right, during the 2024 Summer Olympics, Saturday, July 27, 2024, in Paris. (AP Photo/David Goldman)
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Triathlon-Swimming Training Session Cancelled after Rain Lifts Pollution Levels in Seine

The sun sets over the Seine river next to the Louvre museum, at right, during the 2024 Summer Olympics, Saturday, July 27, 2024, in Paris. (AP Photo/David Goldman)
The sun sets over the Seine river next to the Louvre museum, at right, during the 2024 Summer Olympics, Saturday, July 27, 2024, in Paris. (AP Photo/David Goldman)

The Olympics' triathlon swimming training session scheduled for Sunday has been cancelled after recent heavy rain in Paris affected pollution levels in the Seine, organizers said in a statement.

"The tests carried out in the Seine yesterday revealed water quality levels that in the view of the international federation, World Triathlon, did not provide sufficient guarantees to allow the event to be held," said Paris 2024.

"This is due to rain that has fallen on Paris on July 26-27,” Reuters quoted it as saying.

Organizers said that, given the forecast for sunshine and higher temperatures over the next 48 hours, they were "confident" water quality would improve again before the triathlon events begin on Tuesday with the men's race.

World Triathlon meets with Paris city authorities at 4 a.m. each morning ahead of triathlon training or competition events to analyze the latest water test results and decide whether the Seine is clean enough for athletes to swim.

The running and cycling course familiarization sessions were going ahead as planned on Sunday.
The French capital has been working on cleaning up the Seine so people can swim in it again, as was the case during the 1900 Paris Olympics.