E. Coli Contamination Delays World Aquatics Championships Race

The women’s open water 10km race at the World Aquatics Championships in Sentosa, Singapore, has been postponed due to elevated levels of E. coli bacteria in the water. According to Brent Nowicki, the executive director of World Aquatics, the decision was made to ensure athlete safety after water tests conducted on July 13 revealed contamination that exceeded acceptable limits.

Nowicki addressed reporters on July 15 at Parkroyal Collection Marina Bay, stating that the source of the contamination remains unclear. He indicated that initial water testing on Sunday produced concerning results, which were confirmed late Monday evening. “Those tests showed exceeding levels of E. coli,” Nowicki said. “We don’t know why that is the case because testing has been very sound and solid along the way.” He speculated that an isolated incident over the weekend may have led to the spike in bacteria levels.

Race Rescheduled for Wednesday Morning

The race, originally scheduled for 08:00 on Tuesday, will now take place at 10:15 on Wednesday, July 16, pending further water quality assessments. Nowicki mentioned that additional tests were carried out early Tuesday morning and expressed confidence that the water quality would return to acceptable levels. “In our schedule, there are contingencies that account for such incidents. This is just one of those risks we had to take,” he noted.

World Aquatics announced the postponement just hours before the event was set to begin. A press release emphasized that the decision was made in the “utmost interest of athlete safety.” The postponement was the result of a review involving representatives from World Aquatics, the Singapore 2025 Organising Committee, and various technical committees, which concluded that the health and safety of competitors must remain the top priority.

Continued Monitoring and Future Events

World Aquatics has committed to ongoing testing of the water at the competition venue. The organization will monitor conditions closely to determine if it is safe to proceed with the event on the rescheduled date. “We regret the inconvenience caused by the postponement and acknowledge the commitment and preparation of all athletes, coaches, and teams,” the governing body stated.

This incident echoes challenges faced at previous major sporting events, such as last year’s Paris Olympics, where pollution in the Seine led to the postponement of the men’s triathlon race. Sentosa, hosting the high diving and open water swimming events, is playing a pivotal role in the Championships, which began last week with water polo matches. While some matches drew significant crowds, attendance has varied.

The World Aquatics Championships feature six sports, including swimming, water polo, diving, artistic swimming, open water swimming, and high diving. The event is set to run until August 3, marking the first time this prestigious competition has taken place in a Southeast Asian nation.