The promise was that Olympians would swim in the iconic Seine River during the Paris Games. However, due to poor water quality levels, the familiarization swims for triathletes were canceled after heavy rains over the weekend.
Paris 2024 organizers announced that the hot sun over the past two days has likely improved the water quality, allowing competitors to dive into the river for the first 1.5 kilometers of the men’s race. This comes after investing 1.4 billion euros in cleaning efforts to make the Seine swimmable.
Etienne Thobois, the chief executive of the Paris 2024 organizing committee, expressed confidence that the competition can proceed as planned. The city of Paris, led by Mayor Anne Hidalgo, has been dedicated to ensuring the Seine is clean for such events, with the Eiffel Tower and other iconic landmarks providing a stunning backdrop for the athletes.
- New sewage pipes have been installed to prevent filthy water from flowing into the Seine.
- Houseboats along the river have been connected to the sewage system.
- Special treatments have been added to upstream sewage plants to improve water quality.
