The reigning Olympic open water swimming champion calls on organizers to find a “plan B” for the events in the Seine © PARIS 2024/SIPA
With less than five months until the Olympics, Brazilian Ana Marcela Cunha, the reigning Olympic open water swimming champion, called on organizers to develop a « plan B » in case swimmers cannot compete in the Seine, reported The Parisian. At issue: the quality of water for the health of athletes: “It’s a concern. There was no test event last year because of that, but (the organizers) insist on wanting the tests to take place there. » “It is not a question of erasing the history of the Seine, we know what the Alexandre-III bridge, the Eiffel Tower represent, but I think that the health of the athletes must come first”she said on the sidelines of a competition on Copacabana beach.
If the Seine must host open water swimming events, triathlon events must also take place there. However, none of the analyzes carried out in 2023 on the quality of the river’s water reached a sufficient level of quality with regard to European directives. Those taken last summer showed several peaks in the concentration of two bacteria indicative of fecal contamination. And Ana Marcela Cunha explains: “On the day of the competition, there is not much to do (…). But, afterwards, once you get out of the water, you can get sick two weeks later. »
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The mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, has announced several times that she is going to swim in the Seine before the Olympic Games. In an interview given to West France, on February 5, the councilor called many personalities, including Emmanuel Macron, to swim with her. A pole that the Head of State seized during a press briefing on February 29: ” And how ! Yes, I will go. »
2024-03-08 20:05:40
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