The Paris Games organizers have announced that a training session in the Seine River is authorized for Wednesday. To the surprise of many, this news comes just one day after another session was canceled due to pollution earlier in the week.

The decision was made during a nighttime meeting when World Aquatics, the international swimming federation, and the organizing committee gave the thumbs-up for the athletes' training session "to proceed as scheduled on 7 August."

This comes as the schedule indicates that open water swimming events, covering 10 kilometers in a loop around the Seine, are planned for Thursday and Friday. However, in case of another setback with the Seine, the organizers have a backup plan: Lake Vaires-sur-Marne, where the canoeing events are held.

It is worth noting that Belgian athlete Claire Michel was hospitalized after contracting Escherichia coli bacteria following a recent event. Despite numerous meetings to find a solution, the problem has persisted in the French capital. Unable to guarantee the athletes' safety, the issue of the Seine River has tainted the Paris venue.

However, it should be emphasized that after many athletes fell ill, such as in Michel's case, the Games organizers quickly took action. This week, the use of the River Seine for competitions was banned, resulting in the cancellation of the men's triathlon event due to the river's poor condition.

The iconic Seine River was initially planned as the venue for the Marathon Swimming and Triathlon events. Despite being the key location during the Games' opening, it has not met the required water quality levels for competitions. According to experts, the risk is significant, as swallowing Seine water can cause digestive problems and other health complications.

This contrasts sharply with the performance by Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo, Paris 2024 Organizing Committee head Tony Estanguet, and other officials who swam in the river on 17 July. This act was meant to ensure the safety of swimming and competition in the Seine, but recent events have shown the opposite.

To understand this, one must know the situation affecting the Seine. The river becomes polluted when rainfall increases the water flow, as has recently happened in the City of Light. This leads to sewer overflows that discharge wastewater directly into the river, one of the main causes of fecal contamination in the water.

Another significant concern is that the ongoing water quality issues clash with the supposed modernization effort, costing €1.4 billion, intended to improve Paris's sewage and water treatment systems.

Adding to the ambition, authorities have a grand plan for the Seine's future: creating local beaches and swimming areas by 2025. With summer temperatures, the possibility of cooling off in the Seine would be a great attraction for Parisians and tourists, who unfortunately do not have a coastline in the capital.