Anne Hidalgo, the Mayor of Paris, has confirmed that she will once again swim in the Seine — this time to mark the river’s official opening for public swimming, scheduled for July.
From July 5 through the end of August, three specially designated swimming areas will be opened in the city, each supervised by lifeguards. Swimming will remain prohibited in other parts of the river. City officials clarified that the swimming zones will be closed on days when conditions fail to meet safety standards — such as strong currents, poor water quality, or heavy rainfall.
Swimming in the Seine has been officially banned since 1923. In preparation for the 2024 Summer Olympics, the French government invested €1.4 billion in cleaning the river to make it suitable for swimming and triathlon events. Last year, Hidalgo staged a symbolic short swim in the river, wearing a full-body wetsuit and swim cap.
French President Emmanuel Macron also promised to swim in the Seine but has yet to fulfill that pledge.
During the Olympics, the use of the river sparked controversy as several events were postponed due to high levels of bacteria in the water. Multiple athletes reported feeling unwell after swimming. Among them were German swimmer Leonie Beck, Belgian triathlete Claire Michel — who was hospitalized with an infection — and members of the Swiss team who withdrew from the mixed relay due to stomach issues. Hayden Wilde, an Olympic silver medalist from New Zealand, also reported symptoms consistent with E. coli infection after his swim.
The Olympic organizing committee stated that there is no confirmed evidence directly linking the athletes’ illnesses to the Seine’s water.
