The Seine is typically filthy. What to know before Olympic swimmers dive in

Triathlon and marathon swimming at the 2024 Olympic Games are scheduled to take place in Paris's Seine river, where it has been illegal to swim for more than a century. Politicians insist the water will be clean enough for athletes, but experts aren’t so sure.

The Seine is typically filthy. What to know before Olympic swimmers dive in
People sit along the Seine river banks. A couple in the foreground leans on each other.

Triathlon and marathon swimming at the 2024 Olympic Games are scheduled to take place in Paris's Seine river, where it has been illegal to swim for more than a century. Politicians insist the water will be clean enough for athletes, but experts aren’t so sure.