French President Emmanuel Macron has pledged to swim in the Seine ahead of the Paris Olympics, highlighting his efforts to clean it up.
The French President Emmanuel Macron promised to swim in the Seine and support efforts to clean the river of them Olympics in Paris.
“I will do it, but I will not tell you the date,” Macron said at the opening ceremony of the Olympic Village.
Located north of Paris along the Seine, the Olympic Village will host around 14,500 athletes and their staff before welcoming 9,000 athletes to the Paralympic Games.
The French authorities are in a race against time to improve the quality of the Seine water, which will be used for open water swimming and triathlon during the Olympics (26 July – 11 August).
1 is already used.4 billion euros to upgrade sewage and rainwater treatment plants in the Paris area and to improve water quality in the Seine and its largest tributary, the Marne.
Three test events were canceled last year in the Seine due to increased numbers of E.Coli, a bacteria found in human waste, and heavy rain ahead of the Olympics could lead to the cancellation of the events, organizers admitted.
The goal is to be able to swim after 101 years
Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo also promised to take a dip in the river ahead of the Games. He plans to create three public swimming areas in the river after the Olympics, making swimming in the Seine suitable for the first time since it was banned, 1923.
The Seine will play a central role during the Paris Olympics with the promising opening ceremony on 26 July.
