On June 23, Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo will swim in the Seine River, where the Olympic swimming marathon, triathlon and paratriathlon events will be held, to demonstrate her innocence.
Hidalgo, who announced in January that he would swim in the Seine, where controversy surfaced before the Olympics over whether it was “unfit for swimming due to pollution”, plans to make good on his promise, Le Parisien newspaper reported. On June 23, he met with Paris Police Chief Laurent Nuñez, Paris Governor Marc Guillaume, and others.
The plan may be postponed if bad weather occurs or river pollution worsens, but the final date will be decided with the governor’s approval.
French President Emmanuel Macron is also said to be likely to swim with Hidalgo on the same day, but there has been no official announcement on the matter yet.
In a statement on February 29, President Macron said he would swim in the Seine, but did not say when he would do so.
Environmental group Surfrider Foundation said in April that the river was unfit for swimming due to bacterial pollution exceeding standards set by the International Swimming Federation, and Paris said work on the river was not yet complete and the problem would be resolved in time for the Olympics.
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