Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo fulfilled a promise on Wednesday by swimming in the River Seine, aiming to demonstrate that its waters are clean enough for Olympic swimming events.
Hidalgo, accompanied by Tony Estanguet, head of the Paris Olympics Organising Committee, and others, finally took the plunge around 10 a.m. after several delays due to weather concerns and water quality doubts. She wore a wetsuit and goggles as she paddled and swam front crawl, with spectators crowding nearby bridges to witness the event.
“After much hard work, going into the water feels natural,” Hidalgo remarked afterward. “The water quality is very good, albeit a bit cool.”
The Seine is slated to host the triathlon and marathon swimming events during the Olympics, scheduled from July 26 to August 11.
According to the latest water quality bulletin from July 12, based on analysis by Eau de Paris, the Seine’s water quality was deemed suitable for swimming at the Olympic sites on six out of seven days.
Decisions on whether events will proceed in the Seine will be made the night before and early in the morning by a technical committee involving athletes, international federations, regional authorities, and weather experts from Meteo France.
“The arrival of the first athletes tomorrow makes this message very important: the Seine is now swimmable, and the triathlon and swimming events can indeed take place here,” Estanguet affirmed.
Efforts to clean up the Seine have been ongoing, reminiscent of the river’s use for swimming during the 1900 Paris Olympics. Paris has constructed a large storage basin capable of holding 46,000 cubic meters of wastewater before it undergoes treatment and is discharged into the Seine once meeting health standards.
Contingency plans are in place if the river’s condition doesn’t meet requirements: the marathon swimming event will relocate to Vaires-sur-Marne, where rowing and canoeing events occur, and the triathlon may be adapted to a duathlon format.
While some remain skeptical about swimming in the Seine, including tourists and locals alike, enthusiasts like Pierre Suzeau expressed optimism about the prospect of urban swimming becoming more commonplace.
French Sports Minister Amรฉlie Oudรฉa-Castรฉra had previously swum in the river on Saturday, joining efforts to demonstrate the Seine’s improved water quality.
