The 2024 Paris Olympics are just 5 days away! The French capital is about to pull off something that’s never been done before. The Summer Games opening ceremony often takes place inside a stadium. But this time around, thousands of athletes on several boats will adorn the Seine river on 26th July. However, they had to jump through several hoops to get to this point. The water was considered to be unsafe for a dive, which would hinder the triathlons and marathon events set to take place in the river.

But the city has been tirelessly working to turn things around and has invested a whopping $1.5 billion to ensure it is fit for swimming again. To drive this point home, French president Emmanuel Macron promised to taking a dive in the river himself. However, as the Paris Olympics inch closer day by day, the president hasn’t fulfilled his commitment yet. While Anne Hidalgo, the city’s mayor, took a plunge on 17th July, many are wondering if president Macron is going back on his word.

Has Emmanuel Macron rescinded his promise days before the Paris Olympics?

The French president inaugurated the Olympic Village in February this year, with great pomp and circumstance. Reporters asked Macron if he would swim in the river, and he enthusiastically responded with a resounding yes. But with 5 days left for the upcoming Summer Games, many are still waiting for him to take the plunge. While he hasn’t come through on his commitment, the Elysee presidential office reassures everyone that it will happen. The catch? It just won’t happen before the Paris Olympics.

A presidential spokesperson exclaimed, “He didn’t announce that he was going to swim before the Olympics, he announced that he was going to swim and he has always expressed this certainty.” Macron had told reporters that he won’t give them a date or risk having them there whenever it happens. Even though this comment was in jest, there is a reason for the delay. “What seems essential to him beyond the fact that it allows us to organise Olympic competitions, is that it will above all allow us to open swimming sites for all the numerous residents of the Ile-de-France region in the years to come,”- was the statement. The spokesperson then stated that once this is accomplished, Macron will swim in the river whenever he gets the opportunity to.

If the president didn’t state when he would jump, then why the uproar? Many Parisians assumed he would take a dive to prove how the river’s water quality has improved before the Summer Games commence. This sentiment grew stronger after the mayor, Anne Hidalgo, recently took a dip in the river to prove it is clean enough on Wednesday afternoon. She wasn’t alone, though. Marc Guillaume, a top government officer and the Paris 2024 Olympic President Tony Estanguet, joined her as well. After emerging from her dip, she told NBC News, “The water is wonderful, very cool and very nice.” Estanguet agreed with this sentiment and stated how this is an essential milestone for them.

Hidalgo was originally meant to swim in June. However, due to certain hurdles, it was eventually postponed to July. A large crowd gathered around the river as they watched the mayor plunge into the Seine wearing a wetsuit and goggles. The three of them for about 300 feet along the upper banks, were a sight to behold. They were accompanied by 7 seven security boats. Prior to Hidalgo, French Sports Minister Amélie Oudéa-Castéra swam in the Seine as well.

Continuous efforts to cleanse the Seine

The Seine has been polluted for decades, and most Parisians weren’t legally allowed to swim due to how unsafe that would be. The river contains a surmountable amount of E. Coli bacteria which could cause serious health issues. But for the past few years, the government has been working on restoring the beauty of the city. They have invested around $1.5 billion into cleansing the river. The infrastructure is an underground water storage basin near the Austerlitz train station.

What is the purpose of the water storage basin? This infrastructure will collect excess rainwater and avoid any sewage water making it’s way into the Seine. To give you an idea of how massive this water storage basin is, it can hold water equivalent to 20 Olympic-sized swimming pools. While this has been put into place to ensure the Seine is clean enough for the Olympics, they are hoping that the infrastructure continues to keep the waterbody clean well after the Summer Games conclude.

Even though the government is tirelessly working towards this, many Parisians weren’t onboard with this. The mayor was originally supposed to take a dive in the river on 23rd June. They decided to protest this with a unique twist, #JeChieDansLaSeineLe23Juin event. To draw more attention to the sewage poisoning, locals decided to defecate in the river. While thousands of people joined in on the movement online, that didn’t really happen.

So is the Seine safe enough to swim in? According to the Paris city hall, they stated that upon testing the water is clean enough for swimming. But with 5 days to go for the Paris Olympics, uncertainty is prevalent. However, if Paris experiences heavy rain, all of this would have been for nothing. With the mayor’s promise still intact, many are still waiting for the French president to step up. Do you think Emmanuel Macron has gone back on his word, or will he take a dive post the Summer Games?