sports
High divers take the plunge in Paris for a new test of reclaimed Seine’s water
European Aquatics Championships taking place in city
TL;DR
- Paris is holding its first high-diving competition in the Seine, in front of the Eiffel Tower.
- The event is part of the European Aquatics Championships, running until August 16.
- Training was briefly suspended due to traces of hydrocarbons but resumed after the affected area was treated.
- The competition tests Paris's ambition to make the Seine swimmable again, an effort supported by massive investments for the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
- Swimming in the Seine was banned in 1923 due to pollution and river traffic, with public swimming scheduled to return in 2025.
- The 38th European Aquatics Championships mark the centenary of the inaugural event and Paris's first time hosting since 1931.
- Over 1,000 athletes are competing in five disciplines: swimming, diving, artistic swimming, open-water swimming, and high diving.