The Paris 2024 Olympic Games offered a glimpse of what was to come, with swimmers racing in a newly revitalised Seine. Just one year later, that same river was opened to the public for the first time in 102 years, with the “Paris Plages” project transforming the iconic waterway into a summer attraction that has already proved popular.
The summer swimming programme in the Seine has drawn around 80,000 participants.
Initially set to conclude on Sunday, 31 August, Paris Deputy Mayor Pierre Rabadan said that no sickness incidents have been recorded so far and has indicated that the city is looking to extend the Paris Plages project for this summer by one to two weeks into September.
Since 5 July, Paris designated three sections into Paris Plages—urban swimming sites complete with sandy beaches, bungalows, and palm trees. One is located near Notre Dame Cathedral, another close to the Eiffel Tower, and the third in eastern Paris.
Deputy Mayor Rabadan told FrancsJeux.com: “The distrust hasn’t completely disappeared yet, but I’m convinced it will be after this summer. … We’ve done all the work necessary to improve water quality to be ready for the Games. We were told we were doing all this for the athletes, but no: it was just a step. The most important thing is that the Games are a unique acceleration tool to create conditions that will benefit the population. This is a good definition of what the legacy of a major event should be.”
"The Games are a unique acceleration tool to create conditions that will benefit the population. This is a good definition of what the legacy of a major event should be.”
Last month, following the World Aquatics Championships - Singapore 2025, Europe’s open water elite joined the public in diving into the Seine, with the third leg of the European Open Water Swimming Cup taking place in the historic river.