In the words of the president, the Seine and the Marne will be clean for swimming during the Paris 2024 Games. The promise was repeated on Monday 13 March by Emmanuel Macron, on the eve of D – 500 days before the start of the Olympic Games. The head of state assured on his Twitter account: “This is our goal for 2024. 1.4 billion euros invested, half of which by the State. At D-500, we are on track to achieve what will be one of the most beautiful legacies of the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games.” The Seine has been off-limits to swimming since 1923, but the prospect of the Paris 2024 Games has accelerated its clean-up. The river will be used for the open water swimming and triathlon events, which will be run between the Invalides and the Eiffel Tower. According to the Elysée Palace, Emmanuel Macron intends to devote part of his day on Tuesday 14 March, 500 days from now, to the next Olympic and Paralympic Games. He is due to take part in a meeting at the Paris prefecture on the mobilisation of State services around the event, have lunch with companies that are partners of the OCOG (or are in the process of becoming so), and receive Tony Estanguet, the president of the OCOG, and Thomas Jolly, the artistic director of the ceremonies, at the Elysée Palace.
