An unsuspecting English tourist, perhaps lured by the high cost of beverages in the vicinity of the Eiffel Tower, bought a bottle of water from a roadside stall across the river from the iconic monument. He was later instructed not to consume the contents – described as ‘Eau de Seine’, or water delicately tainted with pollution. The vendor was eventually identified as James Colomina, a French street artist. Colomina had engineered the scheme to highlight the €1.4 billion spent on Seine clean-up efforts in anticipation of the Olympics, funds that he and other critics argue could have been focused elsewhere.
The commitment to make the Seine fit for swimming featured as a central selling point in Paris’s successful bid to host the 2024 Games. Besides accommodating the launching event, the Seine has also been marked as the triathlon and swimming marathon site. Yet, whether the river will be sanitary enough for these bouts remains uncertain despite a costly infrastructure refurbishment, inclusive of a large underground wastewater retention pool. This trepidation is attributed to an unusually soggy summer in Paris accumulating fears that bacteria-infused effluents may stream into the Seine in case of further downpours.
These attentions were raised continuously from April the previous year, with swimming trials being repeatedly postponed due to below-par water quality. Figures such as the Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo and Olympics Minister Amélie Oudéa-Castéra have all publically jumped in to demonstrate the improvements made. President Emmanuel Macron, however, has yet to fulfill his promise to sample the waters, with the Élysée clarifying that he never committed to doing so before the commencement of the Games.
This lingering doubt about the Seine’s preparedness appears to mirror a deeper concern about the forthcoming Olympic Games’ overall execution.
A meticulously planned act of sabotage was carried out on the French rail network on Friday, resulting in damaged signal boxes and halted connections between Paris and cities like Lille in the north, Bordeaux in the west, and Strasbourg in the east. In addition to this, Eurostar services between Paris and Lille also suffered disruptions. Although the impacts were yet to reach Paris at the time of reporting, the city remained largely under lockdown. However, heightened security measures were anticipated, especially with the inaugural event of the Games nearing.
Despite the ensuing chaos, an uplift in spirit was noticed in Paris, with Paul Hevak, a bookstore cashier, speculating a surge in nationalistic feelings if their athletes excel, but also remarking the disinterest of several Parisians in the Games. Amid these mixed sentiments, Mélanie Desliens sat alone in a restaurant, expressing her excitement for the event and discussing her secured tickets for swimming and tennis events. With the backdrop of Paris’ historical allure and charm, she wished for an untroubled execution of the Games, especially considering the division caused by the recent contentious and inconclusive elections. A sentiment echoed by President Macron who has announced a pause, or “Olympics truce”.
The left-wing New Popular Front, possessing a majority in parliament, further complicated the political scenario by nominating economist Lucie Castets as their prime ministerial candidate. Nevertheless, President Macron expressed his intentions to withhold any decisions pertinent to the role until after the Games.
Citizens too, seemed eager to stray away from political debates. Jean Mireille stated his hopes of the country’s rejuvenation through the Olympics. Along with his wife, Ruiz, he had arrived at Place de la Concorde, surveying through metallic barricades, a temporary site meant for urban sports like skateboarding, break dancing, and BMX freestyling. The area was only accessible to individuals owning tickets or special security passes.
Jean and his wife Mireille, who were marking their 45th wedding anniversary in Paris, recount how the excitement of the Olympics took hold of their homely village, St Saturnin-lès-Avignon, following the torch relay’s visit a month before. According to Jean, the spectacle was quite extraordinary and brought unity to their community, particularly following the elections. He playfully suggests that he anticipates the Parisians will ultimately embrace the festivities, despite initially adopting a ‘glass half empty’ attitude.
In the lead up to the Games, many parts of downtown Paris are unusually quiet, much to the residents’ enjoyment, but to the frustration of those operating in the retail or hospitality sector. One such individual is Ezaz Damka, who runs a food business near the Louvre and reports that foot traffic has dropped by 80 per cent. For three hours after an 8am start, not one sandwich sale was recorded.
The perception of security presence is unusually high, seemingly exceeding the number of tourists, due to the deployment of many thousands of military personnel and police. A keen fan of the Olympics, Cassidy Jackson-Carroll from Brisbane, Australia, compares the atmosphere to a war zone and notes it’s her seventh trip to the Games. She remarks how the mood in Paris differs from what she experienced in London prior to 2012 Olympics. Despite the initial grumblings, Londoners enthusiastically endorsed the occasion.
A beautiful exhibition of Olympic spirit was captured on film by a documentary crew. They filmed construction workers as they arranged the Olympic rings on the Eiffel Tower. As the rings ascended into the night sky, accompanied by Nessun Dorma played across loudspeakers, site director Pierre Engel remarked how deeply emotional the moment was – vastly exceeding everyone’s expectations.
The idea of taking a swim in the Seine, under the towering Eiffel, might lack a certain charm for many locals in Paris. Nevertheless, municipal authorities are expecting several swimming locations to be ready for the public by the upcoming summer. One local, seemingly entertained, mentioned their son’s fishing pastimes and hinted at knowledge of the river’s contents. Sharon Gaffney, a Paris-based reporter, sheds light on this tale.