Anne Hidalgo is the second politician in France to take a dip in the Seine to show that the river that runs through the country’s capital is safe ahead of the games to be held there for the Paris Olympics became the city’s mayor, Anne Idalgo, on Wednesday morning.
With the head of the Olympic organizing committee, Tony Estanguet, at her side, Ms. Hidalgo dove into the water shortly after 10 a.m. (France time) and swam for a few yards.
Wearing swimming goggles and a swim suit, the 68-year-old Hidalgo started with a breaststroke and completed the dive with a freestyle.
“The water is good, very good, a little cold but not too much. Without the Olympics we wouldn’t have made it,” the Paris mayor said after the swim.
It will be recalled that France’s sports minister, Amélie Udea-Castera, was the first to dive into the Seine last Saturday.
