PARIS– French Sports Minister Amélie Oudéa-Castéra took a symbolic dip in the Seine on Saturday in an attempt to ease concerns about water quality before the start of Paris Olympics.
Oudéa-Castéra, dressed in overalls, dove into the famous river after an initial slip and swam a few meters close to the Alexandre III bridge, where the Olympic open water swimming competition will be held.
“We kept our promise,” she told BFMTV, referring to a previous promise to swim in the Seine before the Games began on July 26.
She was accompanied by Alexis Hanquinquant, France’s Paralympic flag bearer.
Since swimming in the Seine was banned in 1923 due to pollution levels, French politicians have promised to make the river navigable again. Former Paris mayor and later president Jacques Chirac promised in 1988 that the river would be clean enough to swim in by the end of his term, a promise that was not fulfilled.
Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo also plans swim in the Seine to prove its cleanliness.
In February, French President Emmanuel Macron promised to take a swim, also. But he added: “I’m not going to give you the date: there’s a risk you’ll be there.”
Hanquinquant, a paratriathlete, joined Oudéa-Castéra in Saturday’s swim and experienced first-hand the conditions he will face in the competition on September 1st.
If water quality problems arise, organizers have backup plans.
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