The Seine River, passing through Paris, is slated for the open-water swimming events of the 2024 Olympics, and French officials are still confident, or nearly so, that the water will be clean enough by then to avoid a debacle like that of the Rio Olympics.
Over the years since 1988, when then-Pres. Jacques Chirac promised a swimmable river, many changes have taken place in water treatment, removal of poisons, and an end to many of the sites along the river where industrial wastes were poured out. Still there are concerns, especially in the industrial areas between Paris and the sea.
Last year, Arthur Germain, son of Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo, swam the entire 758 km length of the river and survived; he swam it in 50 days, six hours a day, towing a kayak with his supplies and an assortment of gauges and tests to monitor water quality. The image above was made during his swim.
Swimming in the river has been banned since 1923, although in recent years Paris has been able to re-open swimming in some of the surrounding canal systems, and hopes are on for the river itself to be ready.
