Kentucky triathlon endangered by algae blooms in Ohio River

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) – Part of a Kentucky triathlon may be canceled over toxic algae blooms in the Ohio River.

News outlets report organizers of Sunday’s 2019 Ironman Louisville say current algal levels could impact the swim. A statement by The Ironman Group says the volatile nature of bloom conditions means no decisions will be made until “deemed necessary.”

Participants in the 2.4-mile swim course are set to jump into waters near Towhead Island in Louisville before entering the Ohio River’s main channel. But Kentucky state authorities issued a standing public health advisory about the river’s toxic blooms in September that warns people to not swim in the troubled water.

Contact with the blooms could cause stomach pain, vomiting, nausea, difficulty breathing and other issues such as skin irritation and limb tingling.