Photo: Paris mayor keeps her pledge and goes for a swim in Seine

The mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, took a dip in the river Seine today (July 17) to prove to the world that the city’s river is clean enough for athletes to swim in during events at the Olympic Games.

Ms Hidalgo had promised to swim in the Seine in January amid scepticism that the river would be clean enough for athletes, following a sewage overflow into the river in August 2023.

The river is also known to harbour some dangerous and exotic creatures from time to time.

The Seine was a cool 20C on Wednesday morning as Ms Hidalgo, accompanied by Paris Olympics organiser Tony Estanguet prepared to make good on her promise at the Pont Marie in central Paris.

Minister of Sport, Amélie Oudéa-Castera, had previously tested the water on Saturday, July 13, telling media afterwards that she felt “no side effects”.

"Without the Games, we wouldn't have done it,” announced Ms Hidalgo after the swim.

“Getting the river back for its inhabitants, for swimming... Just imagine, we'll have a swimming area here for anyone who wants to come and swim. 

“And we'll have three other swimming sites. We need to adapt our cities to climate change and get back to the river. The riverside was a first conquest with its pedestrian walkways’,

The river Seine will stage the triathlon on July 30 (the men's triathlon) and July 31 (the women's triathlon) and August 5 (the mixed race), as well as hosting the open-water swimming on August 8 and 9.

A political dare in France

Swimming in the Seine is a longstanding political dare in France, with politicians often promising to prove their courage (and their environmental commitment) by public bathing.

“The Seine is a clean river,” declared President Chirac in 1988. “Within three years I will swim in it in front of witnesses.”

Mr Chirac did not fulfil his promise.

President Macron has also promised to swim in the river before the Olympic Games.

It is not known if he intends to follow up on this.