French Sports Minister Amelie Oudea Castera made a splash by swimming in the River Seine on Saturday. This event was designed to highlight the cleanliness and readiness of the river for the upcoming swimming events at the Paris Olympics. French authorities used this moment to demonstrate their efforts in ensuring the Seine meets the necessary standards for the Games.
The swim was a significant publicity effort, aiming to assure both athletes and spectators of the safety and suitability of the Seine for Olympic competition. Oudea Castera’s participation underscored the commitment of French officials to host a successful and environmentally friendly Olympic Games.
Seine prepares for Paris Olympics 2024
Paris city hall reported that the Seine has been clean enough for swimming for most of the past 12 days, just weeks before the Olympic Games. The river will be central to the opening ceremony on July 26.
The Seine will host the triathlon and swimming marathon. However, unusually heavy rain has raised pollution levels by washing untreated sewage into the river.
The quality of the water met the required standard for “11 days or 10 days” of the past 12, city hall official Pierre Rabadan told broadcaster RFI.
The river will play a central role in the opening ceremony of the Games on July 26, followed by hosting both the triathlon and the swimming marathon events.
France Sports minister Amélie Oudéa-Castéra swims in the Seine
French sports minister Amélie Oudéa-Castéra took a symbolic dip in the Seine on Saturday in a bid to ease concerns about water quality before the start of the Paris Olympics.
Oudéa-Castéra, dressed in a body suit, dove into the famous river after an initial slip and swam a few meters near the Alexandre III bridge, where the Olympic open water swimming competition will be held.
“We held our promise,” she said to BFMTV, referring to an earlier pledge to swim in the Seine before the Games begin on July 26.
She was accompanied by Alexis Hanquinquant, the Paralympic flag bearer for France.
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