2024-07-17 20:25:07
Wearing a wetsuit and goggles, Hidalgo went into the river near the town hall together with several other swimmers, including the head of the organizing committee of the Olympic Games, Tony Estangue.
Hidalgo said the river was “amazing” after the swim, later adding on her Instagram account: “Swimming in the Seine. Some dreamed of it, some didn’t think it would happen and we did it.”
“After a 100-year break, athletes will compete again in Paris. Public bathing in the Seine will be available next summer,” promised Hidalgo.
Originally, Hidalgo had planned its campaign in June, but early elections and still not very clean water combined with heavy rains and cold weather prevented it.
Recent daily water pollution tests allow swimming in the Seine to be considered safe, and Sports Minister Amelia Udea-Custer was the first to swim in the Seine last week.
Organizers of the Paris Games have long planned to hold the long open water swim and the swimming portion of the triathlon on the Seine, investing some 1.4 billion euros in recent years to make the Seine cleaner.
However, some, such as German swimming coach Bernd Berkhan, remain skeptical about the speed of the current, given that swimmers will have to swim in both directions.
The river will also play an important role in the opening ceremony of the July 26 Games, where the trip of national athletes is planned.
2024-07-17 20:25:07