STORY: :: Parisians react to French Sports Minister taking
a dip in the River Seine ahead of the Olympics
:: July 13, 2024
:: Anna Pawlowska, Paris resident
"I hope nobody gets any skin disease during the Olympics, I'm sorry to say that."
:: Axel Dachet, Paris resident
"Personally, I wouldn't (swim in the Seine), but if the scientists say it's OK, well, why not?"
Amelie Oudea-Castera became the country's first political figure to swim in the Seine on Saturday morning, in a publicity moment that French authorities hope will show the capital's river is clean enough and ready to stage swimming events at the Olympic Games.
The triathlon and marathon swimming legs of the Olympics, which run from July 26 to Aug. 11, are due to be held in the Seine. The famous river was used in the 1900 Paris Olympics.
