Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo is scheduled to fulfill a promise made in January by swimming in the Seine River on Wednesday. The swim will take place near City Hall and Notre Dame Cathedral, showcasing the river's improved cleanliness. Joining her will be Tony Estanguet, head of the Paris 2024 Games, and Marc Guillaume, the prefect of the Paris region.
The Summer Games are set to commence on July 26 with an open-air ceremony featuring an athletes' parade on boats along the Seine. Organizers have invested $1.5 billion since 2015 to prepare the Seine for the Olympics and enhance the river's cleanliness for Parisians post-Games. Initiatives included constructing an underground water storage basin, upgrading sewer infrastructure, and improving wastewater treatment plants.
Swimming in the Seine has been prohibited for over a century, despite being a common promise among politicians. Former French President Jacques Chirac pledged a similar swim in 1988, which never materialized. French Sports Minister Amélie Oudéa-Castéra recently swam in the Seine wearing a full-body suit.
Hidalgo's swim, initially planned for June, was postponed due to parliamentary elections. Concerns over the Seine's flow and pollution levels persist, leading to daily water quality tests by Eau de Paris. While early June results showed unsafe levels of E. coli bacteria, recent tests have shown improvements.
During the Games, the Seine will host open water swimming events, including marathon swimming and the swimming legs of the Olympic and Paralympic triathlons.
Follow AP's coverage of the Paris Olympics: AP News
