More and more details are being finalized for the Olympics, and this Wednesday, to show that everything is going smoothly, the mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, took a dip in the Seine River with the president of the Olympic organizing committee, Tony Estanguet.
According to EFE, swimming in the Parisian river is a test that the waters are "fresh" and very "pleasant," according to the mayor, and that they are suitable for hosting the Olympic open water swimming events.
Nine days before the opening ceremony, which will also be held on the Seine, being the first Olympic opening ceremony held outside a stadium, Hidalgo fulfilled the promise she made months ago and had to postpone several times.
How do you prepare for the start of the Olympic Games?
"Finally today we are happy to see that we have achieved it (…) Of course it will allow for Olympic Games trials, of course it will allow for swimming next year. It is an important legacy," highlighted Hidalgo after having dived and swum in the river.
Accompanying the mayor and Estanguet in the water were the Sports Councillor of the Paris City Council, Pierre Rabadan, and the prefect (government delegate) of the Paris region of Île-de-France, Marc Guillaume.
The bet on the Sena River paid off to celebrate the triathlon swimming test, on July 30 for men, July 31 for women, and August 5 for the mixed relay, as well as the open water marathons for women and men on July 31 and August 5.
The event is part of efforts to showcase the improvement in the cleanliness of the river, which will host the open water swimming events before the Olympic Games, starting on July 26th. In early June, daily water quality analyses showed unsafe levels of E. coli bacteria, something that has recently improved.