Will Paris' Seine River Really Be Swimmable For The Olympics? TikTok's Opinion Is Clear
The 2024 Summer Olympic Games are right around the corner, and the world is anxiously waiting for July to arrive and the events to begin in Paris. One competition is already taking place, however, and it has been underway for years. There's been a race against the clock in France to prepare the Seine River for several Olympic swimming events by improving the water safety levels. The triathlon, the marathon swim, and the paratriathlon competitions are scheduled to take place in this famous river in the City of Lights, but reports keep surfacing about the levels of bacteria in the water. French authorities have been hard at work with efforts to apply modern solutions to an ancient sewer system that often overflows into the river, and their goal is to ensure that Olympic athletes will feel confident and remain healthy during their events. The public has been reassured that all will be well by opening day. However, TikTok has some thoughts about whether this race can be won in time.
@_pinkyyyk ♬ son original – Topito – Topito
The Olympic events are scheduled to take place at two points on the Seine, the Pont de l'Alma and the Pont Alexandre III. These are the two locations where Surfrider Foundation, a charity dedicated to preserving water quality and public health, has been taking regular water samples from the Seine for months. Its 14 samples have demonstrated a dangerous level of bacteria in the water, with only one sample suggesting an acceptable level of safety.
Preparing the Seine River is a giant hurdle for Paris
While many tourists will be considering what they need to know about traveling to the Olympics this summer, they'll discover that one way to experience Paris like a Parisian is not to go for a swim in the Seine River. On TikTok, _pinkyyyk posted a video of the current conditions of the Seine, which prompted a flood of comments from those who were concerned. "I don't even wanna know what's lurking in there," said one person, while another added that the video made the Hudson River "look like a pristine beach" in the Bahamas. Another commenter asked, "They don't actually expect olympians to swim in that?" One person explained that "the one who can exit the Seine at the end alive is the winner," and someone else asked, "Are they also hosting the track events in the catacombs?"
Several people have tried to explain that the river is brown simply because of a recent rain, and that all rivers look this way after a thunderstorm. One person replied, "I'm from Detroit and our river doesn't ever look like that." In response to the assumption that the river will be clean by summer, one person asked, "This summer? [T]he one that comes this year?" Someone else replied, "No worries French hospitals and dermatologists are ready too." One commenter pointed out, "It'll be a competition to see which nation has the best immune systems."
TikTok has the solution to clean up the Seine River
The Seine River may not be one of the world's most dangerous places to swim, but it certainly poses some risks to swimmers. A number of the TikTok comments were suggestions from people on how to solve the problem, however, many were jokes. One person said, "Can't wait for the Speedo branded hazmat swimsuits." Another person merely offered, "At least pour some blue dye or something" into the water.
One popular solution that keeps coming up in the TikTok comments is to enlist the aid of a man who could make things right, as he's demonstrated so many times before. Everyone's favorite pool cleaner and miracle worker, thep00lguy, has proven time and again that he can turn an impossible situation around. More than 14 million followers on his account can't get enough of the before and after pictures of the dark green, grimy pools that magically transform into clear blue waters under his care. TikTok seems to believe that thep00lguy would know what to do in Paris. Preparing the Seine River in time for Olympic competition may be the one of the most arduous efforts taking place before the games begin in July. According to TikTok, it's only fair to give thep00lguy a chance to shine in this competition, and then bestow on him the gold medal that he'll deserve when he conquers the challenge.