Thousands of athletes from around the world are headed to Louisville for an IRONMAN competition later this month, but the swimming portion of could be in jeopardy after a harmful algal bloom was confirmed in the Ohio River.
The Kentucky Division of Water and the Kentucky Department for Public Health issued a public health advisory for the river after samples collected August
1 indicated the presence of a toxin-producing bloom. That means activities that require physical contact with the water, such as swimming and wading, are not recommended because of the risk of ingesting contaminated water, which could cause gastrointestinal symptoms such as stomach pain, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.
Triathletes taking part in IRONMAN Louisville are supposed to swim downstream through part of the Ohio River next Sunday before hitting the Great Lawn in Waterfront Park for the 56-mile bike course and 13.1-mile run. Now, many participants are worried that the swim portion will be completely canceled.
The swim is still on at this point, but if conditions don’t improve, it could be canceled.
David Wicks, an environmentalist and professor at the University of Louisville, said he has been keeping an eye on the presence of the toxic algae and admitted conditions have improved over the last few days. However, he is worried there won’t be enough rain to clean out the algae in the short-term.
Source: WDRB
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