- Title: Paris makes a splash with swimmable canal for Olympic bid
- Date: 18th July 2017
- Summary: PARIS, FRANCE (JULY 18, 2017) (REUTERS) APARTMENT BLOCK / PEOPLE SWIMMING IN EMCLOSED SWIMMING AREAS IN BASSIN DE LA VILLETTE PEOPLE SWIMMING TWO PEOPLE JUMPING INTO WATER VIDEO UNDER WATER PARIS MAYOR, ANNE HIDALGO, WALKING NEXT TO BASIN HIDALGO WAVING TO SWIMMERS AND IMITATING DIVING MOVEMENT CHILDREN SWIMMING (SOUNDBITE) (French) PARIS MAYOR, ANNE HIDALGO, SAYING: "It opens the door to bathing in open water in Paris. In 2019, we will be able to swim in Lac Daumesnil and then before 2024 we will be able to swim in the Seine, with three swimming pools to be set up in the Seine. And thanks to the Olympics Games, we will ensure that the Seine's water will be clean." SWIMMERS LEAVING BASIN HIDALGO SPEAKING TO CHILD EXITING BASIN (SOUNDBITE) (French) PARIS DEPUTY MAYOR FOR SPORT AND TOURISM, JEAN-FRANCOIS MARTINS, SAYING: "It's above all the demonstration of a method that works, which means analysing, identifying pollution sources, one after the other. This allows us to apply the same methodology with the River Seine by 2024 so we can welcome both the Olympic triathlon in 2024 and, after that, Parisians swimmers, who will once again be able to use the Seine as a bathing area, as they used to at the beginning of the 20th century.'' BASIN 16-YEAR-OLD PARISIAN, MARINE, GOING TO SWIM (SOUNDBITE) (French) 16-YEAR-OLD PARISIAN, MARINE, SAYING: "It's really practical; it's a great initiative because it allows many people who don't go to the sea to make the most of the water and sun in Paris. We already had Paris Plages but we couldn't swim. So it's great here, when it's sunny the water is nice; it's great."' PEOPLE JUMPING INTO WATER AND SWIMMING MAN SUNBATHING PEOPLE SITTING AROUND BASIN WOMAN READING CHILD AND HIS FATHER EXITING WATER (SOUNDBITE) (French) 7-YEAR-OLD, CAMILLE, SAYING: "The water is very cold. And we can't see anything under it!'' PEOPLE AROUND BASIN YOUNG BOY DIVING INTO WATER YOUNG BOY SWIMMING (SOUNDBITE) (French) YOUNG BOYS JULIEN (IN MIDDLE) AND TIMOTHE (ON RIGHT) (STANDING NEXT TO FRIEND MICHAEL) SAYING: JULIEN SAYING: ''The water is cold but when we start to play it becomes warm." TIMOTHE SAYING: "It's cool but there's a lot of seaweed which is horrible! But otherwise it's cool, I had a lot on me before.'' WEEDS IN WATER JULIEN, TIMOTHE AND MICHAEL JUMPING INTO WATER VARIOUS OF PEOPLE SWIMMING VARIOUS OF MAN AND BOY WATCHING WATER SWIMMING AREA
- Embargoed: 1st August 2017 15:58
- Keywords: Paris mayor Seine river Olympics Games 2024 swim summer
- Location: PARIS, FRANCE
- City: PARIS, FRANCE
- Country: France
- Topics: Human Interest / Brights / Odd News,Olympics,Sport
- Reuters ID: LVA0016Q8VWWP
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Paris made a splash on Tuesday (July 18) as the city opened up a swimming area on the Bassin de la Villette as part of a bid to clean up the city's iconic but polluted water for its bid to host the 2024 Olympic Games.
Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo officially opened the initiative as children cooled off in the water under the warm sun.
Three basins, each with different depths, have been installed in the east of Paris with a filter system cleaning the water. Samples will be taken every three hours during the day to check the quality of the water.
The initiative is one of the first steps in making the River Seine swimmable, a target set by Paris in its bid to welcome the Olympics in 2024.
Swimmers using the new open-air pools have showers and deckchairs at their disposal and will be monitored by lifeguards. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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