French Sports Minister Takes a Dive in the Seine to Showcase Water Quality

French sports minister Amélie Oudéa-Castéra made a bold statement by taking a symbolic dip in the Seine in an effort to address concerns over water quality ahead of the Paris Olympics. Dressed in a body suit, she dove into the famous river near the Alexandre III bridge, the venue for the Olympic open water swimming competition.

Accompanied by Alexis Hanquinquant, the Paralympic flag bearer for France, Oudéa-Castéra fulfilled her promise to swim in the Seine before the Games kick off on July 26. The act aimed to showcase the efforts to make the once-polluted river swimmable again, a goal that has been a long-standing commitment by French politicians.

Despite historical bans on swimming in the Seine dating back to 1923 due to pollution concerns, promises to clean up the river have been reiterated over the years. Former Paris mayor and president Jacques Chirac pledged in 1988 to ensure the river was clean enough to swim in by the end of his term, a promise that was not fulfilled.

Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo also plans to take a swim in the Seine to demonstrate its cleanliness. Even French President Emmanuel Macron has committed to a dip in the river, albeit without disclosing a specific date to avoid media attention.

Notably, para-triathlete Alexis Hanquinquant, who joined Oudéa-Castéra in the swim, experienced firsthand the conditions he will face during the competition on September 1. Despite a significant €1.4 billion clean-up initiative, concerns persist over the river’s suitability for hosting swimming events.

Recent reports of elevated levels of E.coli in the river during late June and early July have raised doubts about the safety and cleanliness of the water for sporting activities.