The organizers of the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games "are considering moving the showcase triathlon event" to prevent athletes from being poisoned or infected during the open-air swim, according to Tom Gordon of the HERALD SCOTLAND. The endurance challenge is due to start with a 1500m open-air swim in Strathclyde Loch in North Lanarkshire, followed by a 40k cycle and a 10k run on surrounding roads and paths. But persisted worries about the water quality in the lake are now forcing the organizers to canvas alternative locations. As recently as June 23, "80% of the people who took part in an open-air swim at Strathclyde Loch fell ill." Some of those affected "tested positive for norovirus," also known as the winter vomiting bug. The lake was closed to all water sports and boating after the outbreak, which was blamed on heavy rains contaminating the water. It emerged last week that the recurring water problems were "discussed by games organisers and the Scottish government in March" at a meeting of the Glasgow 2014 Strategic Group. Glasgow 2014 officials Saturday confirmed that "they were now developing contingency plans, but said no final decisions would be made until after technical advisers reported back in a year's time." Scottish Water and the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency are currently working on a £150,000 ($235,000) project to improve the quality of the lake's water before the triathlon in July '14 (HERALD SCOTLAND, 8/5).
