Weeks ahead of the the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympics, the Mayor of Paris swam in the River Seine on Wednesday to demonstrate the river is now clear for outdoor swimming events.
Anne Hidalgo, wearing goggles and a wet suit, swam the breaststroke before immersing her face and starting a front crawl, covering around 100 metres up and downstream, according to a report in AFP.
The Paris Mayor was accompanied by local officials and Tony Estanguet, a triple Olympic gold medallist in canoeing who heads the organising committee for the Paris Games. The two senior officials swam along the stretch of the river passing by City Hall and the Notre Dame Cathedral to showcase the river’s improved cleanliness.
La Maire de Paris s’est baignée dans la Seine à quelques jours des #JeuxOlympiques.
Jacques Chirac en avait rêvé, Anne Hidalgo l’a fait ! Chose promise, chose due.
Ce sera un formidable héritage pour les Parisiens. Y compris à #Paris15 où il y aura bientôt un site de baignade pic.twitter.com/rArQPo4dLQ
— Anouch Toranian (@AnouchToranian) July 17, 2024
“Today is a confirmation that we are exactly where we meant to be. We are now ready to organise the games in the Seine,” Estanguet said.
“On the eve of the Games, when the Seine will play a key role, this event represents the demonstration of the efforts made by the city and the state to improve the quality of the Seine’s waters and the ecological state of the river,” Hidalgo’s office said in a statement, according to France24.
There has been an investment of $1.5 billion to prevent sewage leaks into the Seine. However, the state of the river has brought suspense ahead of the Olympic games in the French capital.
With the heavy rains in July, samples from the river have shown that it is ready for the open-water swimming and the triathlon.
