French Sports Minister Amélie Oudéa-Castéra made a bold statement on Saturday, taking a symbolic dip in the Seine River to demonstrate the water quality improvements ahead of the Paris Olympics. Clad in a wetsuit, she initially slipped and then swam a short distance near the Alexandre III bridge, which will host the Olympic open water swimming competition.
Accompanied by Alexis Hanquinquant, the French Paralympic flag bearer, Oudéa-Castéra kept her promise to swim in the Seine before the Games begin on July 26. This symbolic act is significant, as swimming in the Seine was banned in 1923 due to pollution levels, and French politicians have long vowed to make the river swimmable again.
In 1988, former Paris Mayor and later President Jacques Chirac pledged to make the Seine clean enough for swimming by the end of his term, a promise that went unfulfilled. More recently, Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo has also expressed her intention to swim in the Seine to prove its cleanliness. In February, French President Emmanuel Macron made a similar promise, but with a hint of humor, saying he wouldn’t give a specific date due to the risk of being called out.
Hanquinquant, a para-triathlete, joined Oudéa-Castéra in the swim and got a firsthand taste of the conditions he’ll face in competition on September 1. Despite concerns about water quality, organizers have backup plans in place to ensure the smooth execution of the events.
