The Paris River Seine, in which not only the opening ceremony but also several swimming competitions are to take place at the Olympic Games in three weeks, is now clean enough for this. The quality of the water has improved sufficiently, French media report, citing an official report. It refers to the period from June 24 to July 2. The water quality was still inadequate the previous week.
The plan to hold the opening ceremony and competitions in the Seine had led to concerns about the health of the athletes. The capital’s river is normally contaminated with pathogens, and bathing has not been allowed there for around 100 years. According to the organizers, the warm weather will help keep the river clean: higher temperatures and lower water levels will break down the pathogens more quickly.
In order to improve water quality, around 1.4 billion euros were invested in sewage treatment plants and the sewage system in the greater Paris area. They are intended to keep the river clean in the long term, so that Parisians should be able to swim in the Seine again after the games at the latest.
Current could disrupt opening ceremony
However, scepticism about the plans remains. In addition to the water quality, the flow rate of the Seine is also considered a risk. At the opening ceremony on July 26, which will not take place in a stadium for the first time in Olympic history, 160 boats are to transport the teams with several thousand athletes on a six-kilometer route past Parisian sights. But the flow rate is expected to be too high, according to a report by Release This means that the boats need 15 minutes less to complete the journey than the meticulously planned schedule would envisage.
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The current could also be a problem for the competitions. “The race in the Seine is a big challenge in terms of its demands,” said national swimming coach Bernd Berkhahn. With current speeds of around two meters per second, “you can go downstream quickly, but you can’t go back,” he said in an interview published by the German Swimming Association. “The organizers should definitely have a plan B,” criticized Berkhahn. There is currently no information about an alternative venue for the competitions.
Olympia in Paris
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The Paris River Seine, in which not only the opening ceremony but also several swimming competitions are to take place at the Olympic Games in three weeks, is now clean enough for this. The quality of the water has improved sufficiently, French media report, citing an official report. It refers to the period from June 24 to July 2. The water quality was still inadequate the previous week.
The plan to hold the opening ceremony and competitions in the Seine had led to concerns about the health of the athletes. The capital’s river is normally contaminated with pathogens, and bathing has not been allowed there for around 100 years. According to the organizers, the warm weather will help keep the river clean: higher temperatures and lower water levels will break down the pathogens more quickly.
