PARIS — Beneath a radiant blue sky and brilliant sunshine, a crowd of intrigued Parisians gathered along the right bank of the Seine River to witness a historic event: Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo’s symbolic swim in the river. This public demonstration, staged against the backdrop of the city's iconic landmarks—including City Hall and the Notre Dame Cathedral—was intended to showcase the river’s improved cleanliness and its readiness for open swimming events scheduled for the 2024 Olympic Games.

Clad in a sleek wetsuit and equipped with goggles, Hidalgo took the plunge into the Seine near her office, a highly anticipated moment that marked a significant milestone in the city’s preparations for the Olympics. Accompanying Hidalgo were Paris 2024 Olympic President Tony Estanguet, a former canoeist, and Marc Guillaume, the top government official responsible for managing safety and traffic on the renowned Parisian waterway, which will feature prominently in the opening ceremony of the Games.

In addition to Hidalgo, the swim featured participation from members of the City Council, local swimmers from various clubs, and other dignitaries. The event drew considerable attention from a captivated audience along the riverbanks.

Upon emerging from the Seine, Hidalgo expressed her satisfaction with the water quality, remarking, “The water is wonderful,” and describing it as “very cool and very nice.” Her comments highlighted the success of the extensive efforts made to prepare the river for the global event. Tony Estanguet supported these remarks, calling the swim a “very important milestone” and affirming that the river’s quality was “perfect.” He emphasized that the demonstration was intended to reassure athletes that they would be able to enjoy their competitions in a clean and safe environment.

Hidalgo’s swim is part of a broader initiative aimed at showcasing the significant improvements made to the Seine’s water quality in advance of the 2024 Olympic Games. The Games are set to commence on July 26, featuring a grand, open-air celebration with an athletes' parade on boats along the Seine.

Swimming in the Seine has been banned for over a century due to pollution concerns. However, the Paris Games organizers have invested $1.5 billion in revitalizing the river, which includes constructing a massive underground water storage basin in central Paris, renovating sewer infrastructure, and upgrading wastewater treatment facilities. These measures are designed to ensure the river’s suitability for Olympic events and to provide a lasting enhancement in water quality for local residents.

Despite these efforts, concerns about the Seine’s water quality have persisted. The monitoring group Eau de Paris has conducted daily water quality tests, which in early June revealed unsafe levels of E. coli bacteria. However, subsequent readings have shown improvements, reflecting the effectiveness of the ongoing cleanup initiatives.

Originally planned for June, Hidalgo’s swim was postponed due to snap parliamentary elections in France. The initial date had been marked by social media controversy and protests, with the hashtag “jechiedanslaSeine” (translated as “I’m pooping in the Seine”) trending as demonstrators threatened to protest the Olympics by defecating upstream. Despite these challenges, Hidalgo proceeded with the swim, which was carefully organized with seven security boats deployed for the occasion.

The swim covered approximately 300 feet of the river, with participants alternating between crawl and breaststroke as spectators lined the upper banks. Lucie Coquereau, one of the early arrivals who secured a prime viewing spot from the Pont de Sully bridge, expressed her enthusiasm, stating, “I wouldn’t have missed that for anything in the world,” according to The Associated Press.

Hidalgo’s successful swim follows previous political promises to clean the Seine that were not realized. Notably, former French President Jacques Chirac made a similar pledge in 1988 during his tenure as Paris mayor, which ultimately went unfulfilled.

Hidalgo’s swim also followed a recent demonstration by French Sports Minister Amélie Oudéa-Castéra, who swam in the Seine the previous Saturday wearing a full-body suit. The Seine will be a central venue for several open water swimming events during the Games, including marathon swimming and the swimming legs of the Olympic and Paralympic triathlons. The successful preparation of the river for these events represents a significant achievement for Paris as it prepares to host the world in 2024.