2024-07-30 04:25:04
Paris authorities have taken the plunge amid rumours that the river is not fit to host Olympic competitions.
Just days away from the start of the Paris 2024 Olympic Gamesthe mayor of the French capital, Anne Hidalgothe president of the organizing committee, Tony Estanguetand the prefect of the Île-de-France region, Marc Guillaume, They bathed in the Seine river to demonstrate the purity of the water.
The above, due to the importance that the river will have in the Olympic event, since it will host various events between the July 26 and August 11.
Following the investment of 1.4 billion dollars To clean up the Seine, it is planned to dispute the triathlon tests (July 30 and 31, August 5) and open water swimming (August 8 and 9).
This symbolic act has taken on great relevance, since Since 1923, bathing in its waters has been prohibited, due to river navigation and pollution.
In this sense, Hidalgo, Estanguet and Guillaume immersed themselves in the waterway, where hundreds of people gathered on the Sully bridge to witness the event.
Afterwards, the Mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, said that “it was a dream day. The promise was fulfilled. It was A lot of work, there was a technical dimension, infrastructure to connect, the ships… We have achieved it.“he said regarding the decontamination of the Seine River, which was one of the pillars of the Olympic bid.
In this context, the authority added that “the Games were an accelerator” and that the symbolic bath will mark “a date” and will be “a major legacy.”
In addition to hosting various events, the Seine River will be the unprecedented setting for the opening of the Paris 2024 Games, with a river parade of the participating delegations.