The French Sports Minister Amélie Oudéa-Castéra made a symbolic swim in the Seine River, two weeks before the start of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Accompanied by French Paralympic team flag bearer Alexis Hanquinquant, the minister swam near the historic Alexander III Bridge, where Olympic open water swimming and triathlon events will take place. Oudéa-Castéra expressed her delight, noting the water temperature was a pleasant 20 degrees Celsius.
This swim was not only a demonstration of the safety of the Seine's waters but also a political gesture. The minister's swim preceded that of Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo, who had postponed her swim due to previous poor water quality. Recent analyses have shown that the Seine's water quality now meets the standards required for Olympic events, following an investment of 1.4 billion euros in cleaning efforts.
The Seine River will host several Olympic events, including men's and women's triathlon and the open water marathon, as well as the triathlon events for both genders in the Paralympic Games. Despite initial concerns due to an unusually rainy spring and early summer, local authorities have confirmed that the water quality is now within authorized limits.
In a related artistic protest, Toulouse resident James Colomina drew attention to the high cost of depolluting the Seine by selling bottled river water for 10 euros each. Colomina's performance aimed to critique the 1.4 billion euros spent on cleaning the river for the Olympics, suggesting that the money could have been better invested elsewhere. His previous works have also criticized the commercialization of the Olympic Games.
