Dirty Seine River adds to uncertainty at Paris Olympics swimming competition
(AFP, Paris, 26th) Organizers of the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris, France, may be a little uneasy about their commitment to hold open-water swimming events in the beautiful but often polluted Seine.
Despite this, the city of Paris has always insisted that it has “no plan B”.
The Paris Olympic Marathon swimming test event was canceled in August last year due to too dirty water, and the swimming sessions were also canceled on two days of the four-day Olympic and Paralympic Triathlon test events.
Fecal contamination is a big problem. When heavy rains wash garbage and untreated wastewater into rivers from riverbanks, overflowing drains and sewers, waterborne bacteria can thrive.
The reason why the open water swimming test event in August last year was canceled was because heavy rain caused the level of E. coli in the water to reach six times the standard value set by the International Swimming Federation (FINA).
To this end, the French central and local governments are investing 1.4 billion euros (approximately NT$47.9 billion) in five water purification projects.
In order to show the beauty of Paris, the starting point of the men’s and women’s 10-kilometer swimming competition will be set at the famous Paris art landmark “Pont Alexandre-III” (Pont Alexandre-III), with Invalides and the Eiffel Tower as the starting point. background. One kilometer down the river you will pass other places of interest, including the Musee d’Orsay and the Grand Palais.
French swimmer Marc-Antoine Olivier, who won a silver medal at the World Aquatics Championships in Qatar earlier in February, said he was excited about the Seine venue.
“People may be afraid of what’s in the water, but it’s great to be able to swim in a historic place,” Oliver said. “Of course, a lot of people will try to create a conversation about our situation in the water, but as long as If we can swim, that’s fine. They’re not going to risk us swimming and getting someone sick.”
2024-02-26 10:05:01
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