High divers take the plunge in Paris for a new test of reclaimed Seine’s water
Summary
Paris hosted its first high-diving competition in the Seine River, with athletes diving from 20 meters near the Eiffel Tower. The event is part of the European Aquatics Championships and highlights Paris’s efforts to clean the river for sports and public use.Key Facts
- The high-diving event took place on the Pont de Bir-Hakeim in front of the Eiffel Tower.
- Training was briefly paused due to detection of hydrocarbon pollution, but the area was quickly treated and the event continued.
- Paris has invested heavily to clean the Seine ahead of the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games to make the river safe for swimming and sports.
- Hundreds of spectators gathered to watch the divers, including tourists who came across the event by chance.
- The event is part of the 38th European Aquatics Championships, which includes swimming, diving, artistic swimming, open-water swimming, and high diving.
- Paris last hosted the European Aquatics Championships in 1931, and swimming in the Seine was officially banned in 1923.
- The current competition symbolizes a broader effort to make the Seine a place for sport and public enjoyment, not just transport and tourism.
- The championships will run until August 16, with high diving ending on August 12.
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