Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo Tells French Radio She Will Swim in the Seine Next Week
By Braden Keith on SwimSwam
Parisian mayor Anne Hidalgo has again committed to swim in the Seine ahead of the Olympic Games to demonstrate that it is safe for competition at the Olympic Games. Her comments on French radio on Wednesday come amid improving water quality conditions and finally acknowledging that there is a Plan B for open water swimming events (but not the triathlon) if the Seine is unsafe for swimming on race day.
What You Need to Know About E. Coli in the Seine
Hidalgo, along with recently re-elected French President Emmanuel Macron, have been talking about swimming in the Seine for months after a 1.4 billion Euro (1.5 billion USD) clean-up plan. Heavy rains and limited sunshine have contributed to high levels of harmful bacteria in the river, which is the outlet for Paris’ combined sewer system, but last week showed levels in the acceptable range for the first time.
Hidalgo insured the interviewer that the river would be “depolluted” by then.
Clip below:
.@Anne_Hidalgo assure qu’elle va bien plonger dans la Seine “la semaine prochaine” #le69Inter pic.twitter.com/3gu865l3OM
— France Inter (@franceinter) July 10, 2024
Macron has not yet renewed his commitment to swim in the Seine.
Locals have threatened to protest the project by defecating in the river ahead of previous scheduled swims by Hidalgo, though so far it doesn’t appear that those protests have materialized, being postponed with each postponement of the swim.
Read the full story on SwimSwam: Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo Tells French Radio She Will Swim in the Seine Next Week