Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo made waves today by swimming in the Seine River alongside Paris 2024 Olympics chief Tony Estanguet – proving the once-polluted waterway is ready for athletes to dive into during next month's Games! 🏊♀️
\"It's cool but not cold at all. We didn't want to get out,\" Hidalgo laughed after their splashy publicity stunt. The dip marks a major milestone after France invested €1.4 billion since 2016 to clean the Seine, turbocharged by Olympic preparations.
Breaking a 100-year bathing ban, the river will host marathon swimming and triathlon events starting July 26. Even better? Parisians and visitors can legally swim here starting summer 2025! 🎉
\"When we clean the Seine, we're not just preparing for the Olympics – we're protecting rivers for future generations,\" Hidalgo emphasized. The aquatic glow-up comes just in time for the Games' unprecedented opening ceremony… on the Seine itself! ✨
