“Sweet and wonderful”, Anne Hidalgo did it! She bathed in the Seine…

It was one of the big questions of the day: Would the mayor of Paris swim in the middle of the turds? Last May, when she announced that she would be swimming on June 23, many Internet users launched a movement to go and defecate in order to spoil the party.

Some had even calculated that the inhabitants of Rouen could do their business 120 hours before the event to aim correctly.

A visual inspection (by us) prior to the event and the testimonies of the day’s bathers confirm that the famous operation ultimately, it seems, did not take place.

Without having done an analysis of the rate of presence of the E.Coli bacteria, we can attest that to the naked eye (and to the taste according to those who drank the cup), no particular concentration of fecal matter is to be observed in the river. Good news a few days before the Olympic events.

Barely out of the bath, Anne Hidalgo, like all great athletes, plays the game of the “Mixed Zone” and faces the tidal wave (do you get it? Note this joke in the comments).

Let’s be honest: Places are expensive for journalists and our special correspondent had to fight to catch a few words.

Despite camera shots to the head, bag kicks to the teeth and a mangled toe, we managed to understand that the mayor of Paris described the water of the Seine as “sweet and wonderful”.

An impression confirmed by all the bathers who followed the VIPs in the river.

At the same time, no one would want to spoil the party.

Not content with having successfully entered the water (very) cautiously, Anne Hidalgo treated us to a very nice crawl over several meters during which she allowed herself to distance herself from Tony Estanguet, who was nevertheless comfortable in the water (at least on the water). The question is increasingly being asked in the pool of journalists: Natural ease in the water or secret training before the event? 20 Minutes will try to answer the question for you.

To share her pleasure, Anne Hidalgo invited some well-known members of her majority, including Pierre Rabadan, deputy for sport and the Olympic Games, but also Dan Lert, Nicolas Bonnet-Oulaldj and Lamia El Aaraje.

To avoid slipping and the awkward flat, Anne Hidalgo chose caution by going down the ladder from the pontoon. The mayor of Paris is in the Seine!

The president of Paris 2024 is the other star of the day. He too could not back down after having promised so much.

She didn’t let it slip. Anne Hidalgo, the headliner of this Olympic day, is here… and in her outfit, a sign that she is ready to take the plunge.

Last-minute accreditations, impromptu change of access location, endless queues… It’s safe to say that the Paris 2024 Olympic Games are truly starting today, without a doubt.

The mayor of Paris Centre could not miss the event taking place on his territory. Arriving by bike, in Bermuda shorts. Ariel Weil is already in the Olympic spirit. We bet he did not come as a simple spectator and should also taste the Seine.

It is probably a dream for many politicians: to throw journalists into the water. Cunning, Anne Hidalgo will succeed in the feat without using force. Several journalists have provided swimsuits and bathing caps. Let’s bet that the mayor of Paris would be delighted to sink one or two.

It is an understatement to say that the event is anticipated. More than an hour before Anne Hidalgo’s big jump into the Seine, dozens of journalists from all over the world are crowding in front of the Marie arm, facing the Île Saint-Louis to access the quay from which the mayor will launch himself.

Lucky the mayor of Paris. For her swim, she should benefit from ideal conditions with a beautiful 18° degrees and a blue sky over the capital. Water temperature? Unknown but we bet it’s not warm.

While the Minister of Sports, Amélie Oudéa-Castéra, opted for an uncontrolled slide to make her entrance into the Seine on Saturday morning, what will Anne Hidalgo choose? Rather a triple pike somersault/double Lutz like the great Olympic divers or a nice family bomb for fun?

We tell you all about it here:

It’s the big day! This Wednesday, July 17, Anne Hidalgo, Mayor of Paris, must keep one of her most famous promises: to swim in the Seine. A way to prove that the quality of the river’s water is good enough to take a dip in.

A major challenge a few days before the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, which will see the Seine play a major role with the hosting of several events (marathon swimming, triathlon and paratriathlon).

Anne Hidalgo will not be alone in the water as she will be accompanied by two prestigious guests, Marc Guillaume, prefect of Île-de-France, and Tony Estanguet, president of the organizing committee for the Paris 2024 Games.

The swim must take place at 10 a.m.