Seine River pollution has caused concern during the Olympics.
Mayor of Paris Anne Hidalgo kept his word and took a dip in the Seine River on Wednesday. Seine’s pollution has caused concern during the Olympics. Open water sports and the swimming part of the triathlon are supposed to be held in the river, but quality tests have time and again shown the water to be too polluted.
– The water is really good. A little cold, but it’s not that terrible, the mayor said according to news agency NTB.
Hidalgo and the President Emmanuel Macron announced earlier in the summer that they would swim in the Seine to prove its suitability for the Olympics. Macron was not seen washing on Wednesday due to the political situation in France.
When Hidalgo swam in the Seine River, dozens of others also took a dip in the water. The Organizing Committee of the Olympic Games Tony Estanguet was involved in the rapture and assured that the situation in the river was fine.
– This day is a confirmation that we are exactly where we should be. We are now ready to hold the games in the Seine, three-time Olympic canoeing champion Estanguet said.
In Paris, around 1.4 billion euros have been spent on cleaning the Seine.