RAISING A STINK OVER THE SEINE

Charity says tests at Olympic swim events’ river venue show water remains polluted

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A French water charity on April 8 sounded the alarm about pollution in the Seine just over 100 days before the start of the Paris Olympics when the river is set to be used for swimming events.

Surfrider Foundation said it had analysed six months of tests over winter undertaken by a laboratory and concluded that the river water remained polluted and potentially dangerous.

In an open letter, the charity said it not only "wanted to share with stakeholders rising concerns about the quality of the Seine but also the risks faced by athletes moving in contaminated water".

Paris authorities are in a race against time to clean up the Seine before the start of the Olympics on July 26, with the famed waterway set to play a starring role during the Games.

It is expected to host the opening ceremony, and will then be used for the marathon swimming events and the swim leg of the triathlon pollution permitting.

Cleaning up the Seine has been promoted as one the key legacy achievements of the Paris 2024 Games, with mayor Anne Hidalgo intending to create three public bathing areas in the river in 2025.