For the first time in nearly 100 years, public swimming has resumed in the River Seine, marking a significant development leading up to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
River Seine Welcomes Swimmers Again in Paris After a Century of Dryness
River Seine Welcomes Swimmers Again in Paris After a Century of Dryness
Public swimming returns to the Seine, a key milestone for the Paris 2024 Olympics.
The River Seine in Paris has opened its waters to the public for the first time in a century, allowing swimmers to dive in after a long-standing ban that began in 1923. This initiative, which aligns with the upcoming Paris 2024 Olympics, sees the river's waters specially cleaned for open water athletes and triathletes.
Local time saw eager swimmers arriving as early as 8:00 AM on Saturday, ready to experience the reopened areas. Three designated swimming zones near iconic landmarks like the Eiffel Tower and Notre Dame Cathedral will be accessible to the public, available for free until the end of August. Each swimming site is equipped with changing rooms, showers, and ample beach-style furniture to accommodate around 300 sunbathers at a time. Lifeguards will monitor these areas to ensure swimmers' safety.
The journey to this momentous occasion was initiated in 1988 when former Paris mayor Jacques Chirac proposed lifting the swimming ban. Over the past two decades, efforts to reduce pollution levels in the Seine have resulted in significantly improved water quality. Leading up to the Olympics, over €1.4 billion was invested in cleaning the river, although concerns about meeting safety standards arose due to pollution spikes caused by heavy rainfall.
Despite initial doubts about the river's readiness for the Games, Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo and Olympic committee members publicly swam in the Seine last summer to demonstrate its safety. As this historic return to swimming unfolds, many are left pondering whether they would take the plunge in the Seine.
Local time saw eager swimmers arriving as early as 8:00 AM on Saturday, ready to experience the reopened areas. Three designated swimming zones near iconic landmarks like the Eiffel Tower and Notre Dame Cathedral will be accessible to the public, available for free until the end of August. Each swimming site is equipped with changing rooms, showers, and ample beach-style furniture to accommodate around 300 sunbathers at a time. Lifeguards will monitor these areas to ensure swimmers' safety.
The journey to this momentous occasion was initiated in 1988 when former Paris mayor Jacques Chirac proposed lifting the swimming ban. Over the past two decades, efforts to reduce pollution levels in the Seine have resulted in significantly improved water quality. Leading up to the Olympics, over €1.4 billion was invested in cleaning the river, although concerns about meeting safety standards arose due to pollution spikes caused by heavy rainfall.
Despite initial doubts about the river's readiness for the Games, Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo and Olympic committee members publicly swam in the Seine last summer to demonstrate its safety. As this historic return to swimming unfolds, many are left pondering whether they would take the plunge in the Seine.
