Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo To Swim In Seine River

Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo speaks with Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, unseen, during a meeting at the Paris City Hall in Paris, on March 7, 2024. After months of anticipation, Paris Mayor Anne Hid

Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo is scheduled to fulfill a promise made in January by swimming in the Seine River on Wednesday. The swim will take place near City Hall and Notre Dame Cathedral, showcasing the river's improved cleanliness. Joining her will be Tony Estanguet, head of the Paris 2024 Games, and Marc Guillaume, the prefect of the Paris region.

The Summer Games are set to commence on July 26 with an open-air ceremony featuring an athletes' parade on boats along the Seine. Organizers have invested $1.5 billion since 2015 to prepare the Seine for the Olympics and enhance the river's cleanliness for Parisians post-Games. Initiatives included constructing an underground water storage basin, upgrading sewer infrastructure, and improving wastewater treatment plants.