The Mayor Of Paris Will Swim In The Seine River Next Week Despite Pollution Concerns Ahead Of The Olympics

The Seine Paris River, France. (Wikimedia Commons/Eutouring)

JAKARTA - The mayor of Paris on Wednesday told French radio he would swim in the city's Seine River next week, in a bid to demonstrate his feasibility as a venue for the Olympics, despite ongoing hygiene issues.

Mayor Anne Hidalgo told France Inter radio she would "divor next week" and the water would be "clean, that's for sure," reported by CNN July 11.

It is known that Olympic athletes will swim in the river during the triathlon later this month and marathon swimming in August.

However, despite plans for cleaning up 1.4 billion euros (1.5 billion US dollars), there are still concerns about the river's feasibility for swimming events.

Last week's test for the first time showed an acceptable level of bacteria, according to a statement from the Paris Mayor's office.

The Mayor of Hidalgo, one of the main figures behind the 2024 Paris Olympics, previously said he would swim in the Seine River, but postponed the activity after the disbandment of the National Assembly by French President Emmanuel Macron.

The Seine River is no longer a priority in the midst of a general election campaign, the mayor said.

Meanwhile, President Macron previously also said he would swim in the Seine River, although he had not announced the date yet.

Last month, Paris County Prefecture Marc Guillaume told Franceinfo radio the cleaning plan took longer than expected due to the unusually heavy rainfall in the spring.

However, organizers remain confident that Olympic athletes will be able to swim in the river.

The Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony will take place on the Seie River on July 26 if the water currents are not too heavy.

The opening ceremony exercise which was held on June 24 was canceled due to heavy water flow due to heavy rain.