Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo finally fulfilled her promise to take a dip in the long-polluted Seine River to prove that it was safe ahead of the 2024 Summer Olympics that begin next week.
Hidalgo has insisted that the river is safe and would be swimmable for the three triathlon events and marathon swimming that are slated to take place in the famed Parisian river.
But it was only last week that high levels of E. coli bacteria were detected, The Athletic reported.
Swimming in the Seine has been prohibited dating back to 1923, but Olympic organizers have spent $1.5 billion in order to clean the river in preparation for the events.
“The Seine is exquisite,” Hidalgo said to reporters while taking a dip on Wednesday. “The water is very, very good. A little cool, but not so bad.’’
The 65-year-old Paris mayor had a wetsuit and goggles on and took the plunge near city hall and the Notre Dame Cathedral, being joined by the head of the Paris Olympics, Tony Estanguet, and the top government official for the Paris region, Marc Guillaume.
Estanguet said to NBC News that the swim Wednesday was a “very important milestone because it’s the confirmation that we are ready for the Games.”
He added that the quality of the water in the Seine was “perfect.”
Nevertheless, the concern over the water quality has been ongoing as E. coli levels rose in two different locations last week and spiked several times during June.
Paris Olympics officials, however, believe higher temperatures have helped the levels improve since then, CNN reported.
Hidalgo was originally planning on swimming in the famed Paris waterway in June but postponed it because of French parliamentary elections.
Anger toward the city hosting the Olympic games has been simmering, as Parisians have grown frustrated with the funds being spent on the event that some believe could be going to more pressing issues.
It led to frustrated Parisians threatening to defecate in the Seine to protest against the games.
But when the Olympics open, the Seine will serve as one of the centerpieces, with athletes riding down the river on boats of their respective nations during the opening ceremony.
The triathlon and swimming events are scheduled to begin in late July.
Olympic organizers revealed earlier this month there is a backup plan in case E. coli levels spike again, the Associated Press reported.
Organizers said the triathlon could be turned into a duathlon, with the swimming portion eliminated, while the marathon swimming competition could be moved to the Vaires-sur-Marne Nautical Stadium.
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