Paris mayor to swim in Seine ahead of Olympics

The mayor of the French capital Anne Hidalgo is set to take a long-awaited dip in the Seine on Wednesday to demonstrate the river is clean enough to host the outdoor swimming events at the Paris Olympics, her office said.

Despite an investment of 1.4 billion euros ($1.5 billion) to prevent sewage leaks into the waterway, the Seine has been causing suspense in the run-up to the opening of Paris Games next week after repeatedly failing water quality tests.

Only since the beginning of the month, with heavy rains finally giving way to drier weather, have samples shown the river to be ready for the open-water swimming and triathlon — and for 65-year-old Hidalgo.

"On the eve of the Games, when the Seine will play a key role, this event represents the demonstration of the efforts made by the city and the state to improve the quality of the Seine's waters and the ecological state of the river," Hidalgo's office said in a statement.

The Socialist city leader had originally planned to swim last month, but had to delay because bacteria levels indicating the presence of faecal matter were sometimes 10 times higher than authorised limits.

Sports Minister Amelie Oudea-Castera became the first public figure to splash into the Seine on Saturday, with videos of her slipping on a walkway into the water while wearing a full wet-suit going viral on social media.