The organisers of the Paris Olympics can now rejoice. Their main problem has been solved: four weeks before the start of the Games, the water in the Seine has become suitable for swimming. This has happened for the first time since the start of preparations for the 2024 Olympics and, in general, for the first time in many years. But does this mean that the promised triathlon and open water swimming competitions will still take place on the Seine?
“We’re putting off the bath”
The organizers of the Paris Olympics decided to make the most of the city’s existing facilities, even using the Seine. The authorities wanted the city’s main river to host the opening ceremony of the Games, as well as triathlon and open water swimming competitions.
Paris
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There was only one “small” problem: swimming in the Seine has been officially banned since 1923. This is caused by a large number of pathogenic bacteria due to the discharge of wastewater. The sewage system in Paris is quite old, some sections were built in the 19th century, so accidents constantly occur in the city system. But the organizers of the Games promised to clean up the river and even spent 1.4 billion euros. The Parisian authorities built new treatment facilities, and the city’s mayor Anne Hidalgo, together with French President Emmanuel Macron, promised to swim in the river on June 23, 2024.
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However, the new cleaning system did not help. In early April, the Surfride Foundation, which carried out a study on the level of pollution in the Seine, stated that the river water was still toxic. Fences carried out from September to March at the competition venues for the Games showed that the permitted level of E. coli and enterococci was two to three times higher than the permitted level. To this, the Paris authorities said that the studies were carried out in months when the treatment system was overloaded and there was no need to panic. To reassure people, IOC President Thomas Bach made a statement. He admitted that he was ready to swim in the Seine with Hidalgo and Macron before the Olympics.
Since then, tests have been carried out constantly, but the indicators were much higher than acceptable. On May 31, CNEWS reported that 50 tons of sewage entered the Seine in May due to a breakdown of the pumps at one of the treatment plants. All this could not but cause concern among both athletes and residents of France. While athletes were calling for a plan B and choosing an alternative venue for the competition, ordinary people came up with an extremely strange way to solve the problem. A flash mob #jechiedanslaseinele23juin (“I will go to the Seine on June 23”) was launched on social networks and activists launched a website where they said where and when to go to the toilet in the Seine so that the feces would float. to the capital on June 23, when the mayor of Paris was preparing to swim in the river.
However, Hidalgo still postponed the date of her swim.
“We decided not to do this before the parliamentary elections. The first round will take place on June 30, so we are postponing the swimming to the week starting July 14. Thus, the swimming can take place on one of three days: July 15, 16 or 17,” Hidalgo explained the situation to BFMTV.
Paris
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“The results are improving”
Since then, the situation has not improved for a long time. According to tests carried out on 21 and 28 June, the water in the Seine was still contaminated with faeces. In some places, the indicators exceeded the norm by 10 times!
“Water quality remains poor due to unfavourable hydrological conditions: heavy rainfall, high runoff and insufficient sunlight. In addition, the temperature is now below seasonal norms and there is also pollution in the upper reaches of the river,” the Paris mayor’s office said at the time, urging everyone not to worry about the situation.
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And on July 4, tests finally proved that Sena complied with all the necessary standards. This happened for the first time since the start of preparations for the Games. According to data collected from June 24 to July 2, the number of bacteria did not exceed the norm from June 26 to 29, as well as on July 1 and 2.
“These good results are a consequence of the improvement in weather conditions, but above all of the effect of our cleaning plan. As soon as the weather is good and warm, we notice that the results improve within a few hours,” the city’s prefecture reported.
Paris Deputy Mayor Pierre Rabadan, who is in charge of preparing the city for the Olympics, said he was not afraid of competition at the Games.
“The water quality results now meet our standards. It is clear that we must continue to work in this direction over the next few days. I have no concerns,” Rabadan told Le Parisien.
The official should be worried though. Competitions on the Seine are scheduled for July 30, 31 and August 5 (triathlon), as well as August 8 and 9 (open water swimming). And from July 26, the French capital is expected to experience daily rain until at least August 5, which will again lead to an increase in bacteria levels.
Paris
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If the Seine is not suitable for navigation, the competition will be held in the town of Vere-sur-Marne. The regulations also allow for the triathlon to be replaced by the duathlon.
“As for the marathon swimming, to guarantee athletes the competition, we have planned a reserve location: the kayak and canoeing course in Vere-sur-Marne, where there is everything necessary,” said the head of the Games’ organising committee, Tony Estangue, to Équipe.
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“I might regret swimming”
On July 4, 76-year-old American swimmer Joel Strath McClure swam in the Seine. The elderly athlete decided to celebrate the US national holiday and at the same time check the quality of the river water.
“I may regret the swim. But if I come back alive, I will prove that the French did a good job,” McClure said before the swim.
The swimmer did indeed return to shore alive, but it is still unclear how his health is. However, it is one thing for a middle-aged American and quite another for the mayor of Paris. If he swims in the Seine, it is a good sign for the Olympians. If not, then you should prepare for the worst.
