Wearing a full-body wetsuit, Anne Hidalgo plunged into the river near Notre Dame cathedral alongside Paris 2024 chief Tony Estanguet and the top government official for the Paris region, Marc Guillaume.
French president Emmanuel Macron had also been planning to take a dip in the Seine. But apparently the fallout from the snap election he called last month has kept him busy. Ms Hidalgo followed in the footsteps of French sports minister Amelie Oudea-Castera, who swam in the Seine last weekend also wearing a full-body suit.
With the opening ceremony for Paris 2024 just nine days away, and to include an athletes’ parade on boats on the Seine, the 65year-old mayor was cheered as she swam freestyle. “The water is very, very good. A little cool, but not so bad,” the mayor said after the dip.
The cleanliness of the river has been a controversial topic in Paris, particularly since 2015, when Olympic organisers invested around £1.2bn in attempts to filter sewage from the water.
This story is from the July 18, 2024 edition of The Independent.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the July 18, 2024 edition of The Independent.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Orchestral manoeuvres in the dark illuminate ‘Lungs'
The Proms lift Florence and the Machine’s debut album on the LP’s 15th anniversary. Roisin O’Connor is blown away
PUT A CORK IN IT
As a report claims just 27% of young people own a corkscrew, Olivia Petter reflects on the effect of solo boozing at home
Why a little-and-often diet plan beats three meals a day
Grazing like our ancestors offers a wealth of health benefits, says Hannah Twiggs, like better portion control, more stable energy levels and improved muscle strength in older adults
Controversial choices are ‘tarnishing' Canelo's legacy
Fans are desperate to see him fight David Benavidez but the Mexican superstar instead boxes Edgar Berlanga tomorrow
Ten Hag shrugs off Ronaldo criticism of Man United
Erik ten Hag shrugged off criticism from Cristiano Ronaldo by saying that the Portuguese star is far away from Manchester and implying he is out of touch with events at his old club.
Man City hearing into 115 charges to begin Monday
The long-awaited hearing into Manchester City’s alleged 115 breaches of the Premier League’s financial rules is to begin on Monday, according to Sky Sports and ESPN.
Port Talbot rescue sums up Britain's industrial decline
The government has announced a “new improved” arrangement with Tata, the conglomerate that owns the Port Talbot steelworks, confirming a £500m grant that will go towards building a greener electric arc furnace.
Six Indian men fighting for Russia set to return home
A father who has never met his newborn son is among six Indian nationals set to be released from serving in the Russian army, nervously awaiting their clearance to fly home after being sent back from the front line of Vladimir Putin’s war against Ukraine.
Greece warns Germany not to ‘scrap' the Schengen area
Greek prime minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has warned German chancellor Olaf Scholz that an increase in migration into Europe cannot be addressed by unilaterally scrapping” the freemovement Schengen zone.
Israeli strike on Gaza school is 'appalling', says Lammy
The deaths of six UN workers in an Israeli strike on a school in Gaza has been described as appalling” by David Lammy, the UK foreign secretary.
