Delayed races at World Swimming Championship due to polluted water conditions - Postponed Swimming Races Due to Unclean Water
The 2025 World Aquatics Championships in Singapore faced an unexpected turn of events as the women's 10km open water race was postponed due to elevated levels of E. coli bacteria in the water at Sentosa’s Palawan Beach, exceeding the safety thresholds.
The decision to postpone the race was made in collaboration with World Aquatics, the Singapore 2025 Organizing Committee, the World Aquatics Sports Medicine Committee, and the Open Water Swimming Technical Committee, with the priority given to the health and safety of the athletes.
Originally scheduled for 8 a.m. on July 15, the women's race has been rescheduled to 10:15 a.m. on July 16, following the men's 10km race, which will now take place at 7:30 a.m. on the same day. The German swimmers Florian Wellbrock, Oliver Klemet, Lea Boy, and Jeannette Spiwoks are among those affected by the postponements, with Wellbrock being a potential medal hopeful for Germany.
This is not the first time water quality issues have disrupted major sporting events. Previous incidents, such as those at the Olympics, have highlighted ongoing concerns about environmental quality challenges in open water events, including bacterial contamination, which can pose significant risks warranting event delays or cancellations to ensure safety.
Christian Hansmann, Director of Performance Sports for the German Swimming Federation, emphasised that the races can only start when the water quality is acceptable. World Aquatics has stated that there is a possibility to hold the competitions at Palawan Beach at a later time on Wednesday, but has not yet confirmed this.
The postponement of the races adds a layer of complexity to athlete preparation and potentially race conditions, but the focus remains on ensuring the health and safety of all participants. This is the first time Southeast Asia has hosted this World Aquatics event, adding to the significance of careful environmental monitoring during competition.
[1] World Aquatics Championships Singapore 2025, “World Aquatics Championships Singapore 2025: Women's 10km open water race postponed due to water quality concerns,” July 13, 2025. [2] Reuters, “Singapore 2025: Women's 10km open water race postponed due to E. coli bacteria in water,” July 13, 2025. [3] Singapore Straits Times, “World Aquatics Championships: Women's 10km open water race postponed due to E. coli bacteria in water,” July 13, 2025.
EC countries may need to address water quality issues in their sports venues, considering the impact on open water events like the one in Singapore, as demonstrated by the postponement of the women's 10km open water race at the 2025 World Aquatics Championships.
Employment policies in sports organizations should prioritize the development of water quality safety protocols for open water events to mitigate potential disruptions due to contamination, ensuring the health and safety of athletes and maintaining the integrity of major sporting events.
