MOSCOW, (Sputnik) – French Sports Minister Amelie Oudea-Castera went for a swim in the Seine River amid water quality concerns in the run-up to the Olympic Games, just less than two weeks away, according to footage circulated by French media on Saturday.
On July 3, the USA Today daily wrote, citing Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo’s office report from June 21, that the water in the river still contained significant amounts of fecal bacteria, making it unsafe.
French sports minister plunged into filthy waters ahead of Olympics
French Sports Minister Amelie Oudea-Castera took a swim in Paris’ Seine River two weeks before the Olympic Games, in a desperate bid to prove the river’s sanitary readiness. Local authorities and the media… pic.twitter.com/zNEb4HjDBs
— Sputnik (@SputnikInt) July 13, 2024
«We said that we would be ready and we are ready. It’s great that all residents of the Ile-de-France, the French and people all over the world will be able to enjoy this event, this is extraordinary. It is extraordinary to think that, thanks to the Games, we made it. This is an emotional experience,» Oudea-Castera was quoted by the RMC Sport media outlet as saying.
The Olympic Games will be held near Paris from July 24 to August 11. The triathlon contest is scheduled to be held in the capital waters from July 30-31 and on August 5, while the open water swimming events are slated for August 8 and 9.
