Swimming was banned in the Seine in 1923, but bleachers now line the river to make the Seine the center of a citywide stadium.
After months of anticipation, a smiling Anne Hidalgo fulfilled a promise to show the Seine was clean enough to host open swimming competitions during the 2024 Olympics.
Nine days before the opening ceremony on July 17, the 65-year-old mayor of Paris took to the cleaned-up waters of the river to take a swim. Clad in a wetsuit and goggles, she plunged into the river near Paris’ imposing City Hall, her office, and the Notre Dame Cathedral.
Unlike previous editions, the #Paris2024 Olympics opening ceremony will not take place in a stadium but on the Seine River!!! 🎊
This is what the ceremony could look like. 🤌#Olympics #OlympicGames pic.twitter.com/ZY7oZ333rV
— Khel Now (@KhelNow) July 23, 2024
She was followed into the water by Paris 2024 Olympic President and former canoeist Tony Estanguet, as well as Marc Guillaume, the top government official for the Paris region. Guillaume is responsible for the safety and traffic on the famous Parisienne waterway, which will be at the center of the opening ceremony.
“The water is wonderful,” Hidalgo told NBC News after she emerged from the water, adding that it was “very cool and very nice.”
Estanguet added that it was a “very important milestone because it’s the confirmation that we are ready for the Games.”
“The Seine quality is perfect,” he said of the murky waters. He added that it sent a message to the athletes that they should enjoy the Games.
La Maire de Paris Anne Hidalgo se baigne dans la Seine à quelques jours de JO de #paris2024. pic.twitter.com/A9nVeooMMD
— Brut FR (@brutofficiel) July 17, 2024
A vast engineering project, costing some $1.5 billion over the past several years, has restricted the flow of sewage and industrial waste into the Seine.
The project was done to get the long-polluted river clean enough for several Olympic events — including the triathlon and two 10-kilometer swimming events — to be held in it and for the opening ceremony involving a flotilla of boats carrying thousands of athletes to take place on it.
But many were still left skeptical. Maybe because there was a running hashtag, with their own website to solidify their message, #JeChieDansLaSeineLe23Juin, translating to “I sh*t in the Seine on June 23.”
Even though the protest seemed mostly contained to the internet, the French have a history of being iconic and committed protesters. It’s hard to say whether curious Parisians watching Hidalgo, who was originally supposed to be swimming with President Emmanuel Macron, were witnessing a devious joke unfold or still believed the water was too dirty to bask in, despite the massively expensive project.
Hidalgo’s initial plan to swim on June 23 was postponed because of the level of the river and the bacteria in it. Results in early June indicated unsafe levels of E. coli bacteria, although readings have since improved.
The swim was then rescheduled to June 30, which ended up not happening because of snap parliamentary elections in France.