Olympics triathletes swim in Seine River after days of concerns about water quality

Olympics triathletes dived into the Seine River on Wednesday after organizers declared the water in Paris safe for swimming following days of concerns about elevated bacteria levels caused by heavy rains last week.

The women jumped into the river near the majestic Pont Alexandre III around 8 a.m., with steady rain tapering off just as the athletes splashed into the water. 

Some dunked their swim goggles in the Seine before putting them on and heading into the river with the Eiffel Tower in the background. The men followed just under three hours later.

The decision to go ahead with the swim for the triathlon competitions was a big deal for the city, Olympics organizers and the athletes. 

Officials undertook an ambitious plan, including 1.4 billion euros ($1.5 billion) in infrastructure improvements, to clean up the long-polluted Seine. 

They had been steadfast in their insistence that the swimming portion of the triathlon and the marathon swimming events could safely be held in the river.

After days of uncertainty following rain on Friday and Saturday, organizers said early Wednesday that the latest tests of the water showed compliance with quality standards. 

They couldn’t contain their delight that their gamble of holding Olympic events in the long-toxic river was paying off.

“It’s magic,” said chief Paris Games organizer Tony Estanguet, speaking to French television. “It’s a very important legacy for Parisians to be able to swim from next year in the Seine.”

The infrastructure projects undertaken to better manage wastewater have paved the way for Paris’ ultimate goal: allowing Parisians to enjoy the waterway again after more than a century of it being off-limits, with plans to open public pools in its waters starting in 2025.

“Here we are!” French President Emmanuel Macron proclaimed on X. “Thanks to a massive investment ... we have achieved in just 4 years what was impossible for 100 years: the Seine is now swimmable.”

As they swam, the triathletes stayed close to the barges and boats that line the banks of the river. Spectators watched and cheered from the stands set up along the side and from the bridges spanning the waterway.

After swimming two laps in the Seine, a 1.5-kilometer (1-mile) course, the athletes emerged from the water and ran up a set of stairs to jump on their bikes for a ride through the streets of Paris, including the iconic Champs-Elysees.

During the women’s race, the 40-kilometer (25-mile) biking portion saw numerous crashes and wipeouts along wet roads, but skies were blue when the triathletes began the final leg of the race, a 10-kilometer (6.2-mile) run. 

By the time the men’s race started, the sun was beating down and temperatures were rising.

Cassandre Beaugrand of France won gold in the women’s event, while Julie Derron of Switzerland took silver and Beth Potter of Britain got the bronze medal. 

Alex Yee of Britain won gold in the men’s race, with Hayden Wilde of New Zealand winning silver and Léo Bergère of France taking bronze.

Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo, who took a much-publicized dip in the Seine two weeks ago along with Estanguet and others to ease fears about water quality, congratulated Beaugrand for winning the first Olympic gold in the river.

“How special to see her swimming in the Seine, thank you for making us so proud!” Hidalgo said.

For her part, Beaugrand said she wasn’t very worried about swimming in the Seine “because we swam last year and no one was sick after that, so I was confident we could swim today and it would have been a shame if we didn’t.”

Olympic triathletes participated in a test event in the river last August.

Yee, the men’s winner, said athletes just have to trust organizers when they say the conditions are safe.

“I’m sure we’ll find out in due time if that’s correct,” he said.

Elevated levels of bacteria in the river pushed the men’s race originally planned for Tuesday to Wednesday, when the women’s competition had been scheduled. 

Test events meant to allow the athletes to familiarize themselves with the course had already been canceled for the same reason on Sunday and Monday.

Paris experienced a downpour during Friday’s opening ceremony, and rain continued for most of the day Saturday, which directly affected the water quality in the Seine.