The emblematic swimming coach Philippe Lucas expressed confidence on Wednesday regarding swimmers' performance in the Seine during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Despite past concerns about water quality, Lucas emphasized that the situation mirrors that of previous Games in Rio and Tokyo. He assured that swimmers would face no significant issues, stating, 'In Paris, it's the same, they go swimming and that's it.'
On the same day, Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo took a symbolic dip in the Seine, fulfilling her promise to swim in its waters ahead of the Olympic Games starting on July 26. Accompanied by Tony Estanguet, president of the organizing committee, and Marc Guillaume, prefect of the Ile-de-France region, Hidalgo swam about 100 meters in front of a crowd of journalists and onlookers. The event underscored the city's efforts to clean up the river, which had been off-limits for swimming for a century due to pollution.
The sanitation process of the Seine has accelerated in preparation for the Olympic Games, with around 1.4 billion euros invested since 2016. The river will host the swimming leg of the triathlon and paratriathlon events, as well as the open water swimming event. Authorities have worked to ensure that bacteria levels, particularly Escherichia coli and enterococci, remain within safe limits, especially after rainfall.
French President Emmanuel Macron also promised to bathe in the Seine, although he has not specified a date. The mayor's swim follows a similar act by the Minister of Sports, Amélie Oudéa-Castéra. Hidalgo's swim, along with the successful water quality tests, aims to change the public's perception of the Seine, which has long been associated with pollution.
The decontamination of the Seine was a key component of Paris' bid for the Olympic Games. The opening ceremony on July 26 will be a historic event, featuring a six-kilometer route along the river with athletes parading aboard a hundred boats. This marks the first time such an event will be held outside an Olympic stadium, with an estimated 1 billion viewers expected to watch the spectacle on television.
- Hidalgo's swim took place on a sunny day with the water temperature at 20 degrees Celsius. The chosen location is near City Hall and will be one of three public swimming areas set to open in 2025. The other two locations will be in the west, near the Eiffel Tower, and in the southeast of the city.
- The promise to clean the Seine dates back to 1990 when former president Jacques Chirac, then mayor of Paris, vowed to swim in the river within three years to prove its cleanliness. Although Chirac never fulfilled this promise, the current efforts aim to make the river swimmable for the public and athletes alike.
- The images of Hidalgo and Oudéa-Castéra swimming in the Seine have garnered international attention. However, a 2021 survey revealed that two-thirds of French people still view the river as dirty and polluted, with only 12% expressing interest in swimming in it. The upcoming Olympic Games may play a crucial role in altering this perception.
