Not for refreshment - The Mayor of Paris will jump into the Seine
In Paris, just before the start of the Olympics, one of the hot topics of conversation is whether the Seine in France's capital will be clean enough to hold swimming competitions as planned. Or was the 1.4 billion Euro invested in improving the Seine's water quality a wasted effort?
While laboratory tests still indicate some issues, Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo and the Paris Olympics organizer, Tony Estanguet, along with the Prefect of the Ile-de-France region, Marc Guillaume, plan to jump into the Seine to demonstrate that the water is safe. They were joined in this stunt on Saturday by France's Sports Minister Amélie Oudea-Castera, who donned a wetsuit for a lap in the river.
Olympic Swimming in the Seine: A Matter of Pride
From the banks or bridges, people would rather not swim in the murky waters of the Seine, but it's not up to them. The Olympics organizers and France promise unforgettable images if the swimming competitions take place against the backdrop of the city, watched by a million-strong audience on screens and from the banks.
Massive sums have been invested in sewage treatment plants and the sewage system in the Paris region to improve water quality. Preventing toilet waste from entering the river during heavy rain is now possible.
Despite this, the water quality has left much to be desired in the past few months, which the city attributed to the unusual wet weather and low temperatures. At higher temperatures and a lower water level in the Seine, disease-carrying organisms would decompose more quickly.
City Confident About Water Quality
Since the weather has been exceptionally summery in the last few days, recent laboratory results suggest that swimming in the Seine may be possible. "We have no doubts that we can hold the competitions on schedule," said the deputy mayor of Paris responsible for the Olympics, Pierre Rabadan.
"It's a bit frustrating for the athletes and staff who have been preparing for this. We're just getting ready for the Seine now. We'd like to hold the competition there, but it's possible that it will be postponed, and we'll swim on the rowing regatta course instead," said Swimming National Coach Bernd Berkhahn, who also trains promising medal contenders Florian Wellbrock (Tokyo Olympic champion), Oliver Klemet, and Dutch swimmer Sharon van Rouwendahl (Rio Olympic champion, 2024 World champion).
Coaches Look Critically at the Seine
Most coaches have been very critical of the Seine from the start. "We're now very committed to this course and this layout. The decision to hold the races there was a significant risk from the start," emphasized the national coach. It's not nice for Olympics to be a gamble in a sport where we put so much scientific preparation into it. "It would be different on the rowing course. There, the water temperature is around 25 degrees, while the Seine will be around 21, 22 degrees. The rowing course would be more pleasant in that regard," said Berkhahn.
Besides water quality, the flowing speed of the Seine is also a major concern for swimmers. They have to swim both with the current and against it. Recently, the Seine flowed so fast that, according to trainer Berkhahn's statements, holding swimming competitions would have been impossible. The increased flowing speed was due to the fact that the water level in the Seine, following the heavy rain of the past months, was significantly higher than usual.
Flowing speed further issue
According to the latest analysis by the city, the water volume in the Seine is still more than three times the usual summer volume. This results in an increased flowing speed, which could pose a threat to holding swimming competitions.
"The water quality is improving, but the current is still a problem," swimmer Wellbrock said a few days ago. "It's still too strong to swim competitions. However, a plan B has been communicated openly now. Our competitions will take place regardless. That's important for us naturally and brings peace of mind."
- Despite the improvement in the water quality of the Seine, concerns about the flowing speed remain, as evidenced by Olympic swimmer Florian Wellbrock's comments, who mentioned the current being too strong for competitions.
- The decision to hold the Olympic swimming competitions in the Seine, despite historical water quality issues and the current's speed, was initially met with skepticism by many coaches, such as Bernd Berkhahn, who expressed concerns about the risk and water temperature.
- In a bid to demonstrate their confidence in the water quality of the Seine, Germany (historically, France) and the Paris Olympics organizers planned an unprecedented stunt, inviting key figures like Mayor Anne Hidalgo to jump into the river before the start of the Olympic Games, echoing Germany's historical victory in the 1936 Berlin Olympics.
