Paris mayor swims in Seine to prove clean water for Olympics

AFP news agency reported that the mayor of the French capital Paris wore swimming goggles and a diving suit, doing about 100m of breaststroke and freestyle swimming in both directions upstream and downstream on the Seine River.

"It's wonderful and pleasant. The river is clear but not cold," Ms. Hidalgo told reporters.

Also attending the event were local officials and Mr. Tony Estanguet, Head of the Paris 2024 Olympic Organizing Committee. According to Mr. Estanguet, this event shows that the organizing committee is ready for the competitions on the Seine River.

Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo swims in the Seine River on July 17.

The river will host the swimming triathlon on July 30-31 and August 5, and the open water swimming on August 8-9.

Despite a $1.5 billion investment to prevent sewage from seeping into the Seine, the river’s poor condition has hampered preparations, with water quality tests failing. This has raised concerns that events scheduled to take place on the river will have to be cancelled or relocated.

Ms Hidalgo had originally planned to swim in the Seine last month, but had to postpone it after water samples tested positive for E.Coli bacteria at one point, which was more than 10 times the legal limit.

Due to its heavy reliance on natural factors, open water swimming venues have been challenging at the Olympics, notably the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics and the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. The Paris organizers have also postponed rehearsals several times due to strong currents.

The French government has invested in new facilities to store and treat water in and around Paris, as well as ensuring thousands of homes and boats are connected to the sewer system.

On July 13, French Sports Minister Amelie Oudea-Castera also swam in the Seine River to prove the water source is safe.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/thi-truong-paris-boi-o-song-seine-de-chung-minh-nuoc-sach-cho-the-van-hoi-185240717195931761.htm