French Sports Minister Amélie Oudéa-Castéra took a swim in the Seine River, which runs through Paris, 13 days before the start of the 2024 Olympic Games.
Oudéa-Castéra, along with triathlete Alexis Hanquinquant, who will be the French team's flag bearer at the Paralympic Games, dipped into the river wearing a diving suit and swim cap.
The minister told to BFMTV:
We held our promise.
Swimming in the Seine has been banned since 1923 due to the deterioration of water quality. Earlier, French President Emmanuel Macron said that more than €1.5 billion had been spent on cleaning the river. Also, the head of state himself promised to bathe in the river.
Seine will host Olympic competitions in triathlon and open water swimming. The Olympic Games in Paris will be held from July 26 to August 11.
