The water of the Seine is still not suitable for swimming almost a month before the Paris Olympic Games

He Seine waterwhich should host Olympic triathlon and open water events, was not suitable for bathing in the last examination conducted during the week of June 16 to 23 due to “an unfavorable hydrological context,” the Paris City Council reported this Friday.

The Seine continued at that time, as it did last week, with high levels of pollution due to extremely high water flows, lower than normal temperatures and increased rainfall.

Before the publication of the results, the president of the Organizing Committee of the Games, Tony Estanguet, announced to France Inter that we have to wait until “the middle of July” to make a more accurate analysis of the meteorological conditions in accordance during the summer.

That is, with more sun, less rain and, therefore, with a lower flow.

Paris 2024 expects the Seine to be the scene of the triathlon swimming event, scheduled for July 30 for men, July 31 for women and August 5 for the mixed relay. Besides, the open water marathon is also scheduled there on August 8 for women and August 9 for men.

The French authorities invested 1.4 billion euros since 2016 in an ambitious plan to allow bathing in the waters of the Seinewhich was not allowed for almost a century for health reasons.

The water quality of the Seine appears as one of the main issues of concern for the organization of the Games less than a month before their inauguration, on July 26.

The organizers have canceled the various tests planned in the river – such as in August 2023 -, while the mayor of the city, Anne Hidalgo, is delaying her promise to bathe in the Seine before the Games to show her confidence in the clean water The last date given was the week of July 16.