High divers take the plunge in the Seine in a new test of Paris’ reclaimed river
- Paris is hosting its first high-diving competition in the Seine, featuring athletes diving from a 20-meter platform.
- The event is part of the European Aquatics Championships, which runs through August 16.
- Training was briefly suspended due to detected hydrocarbons upstream, but the area was treated and the event continued as planned.
- Hundreds of spectators gathered along the riverbanks to watch the competition, including tourists and locals.
Paris is staging its first high-diving competition in the Seine, with athletes launching themselves from a 20-meter platform in front of the Eiffel Tower. The event on the Bir-Hakeim Bridge has also exposed the fragility of that ambition: Organizers suspended training Thursday when traces of hydrocarbons were detected upstream. By Friday, the French Swimming Federation said the affected area had been treated, allowing athletes to return to the water and the event to proceed as planned.
High diving concludes Saturday with the final two rounds and medal events, while the broader European Aquatics Championships run through Aug. 16. Paris deputy mayor Maxime Sauvage emphasized the investments made to make the river safe for swimming, including preventing sewage from flowing directly into the Seine and improving stormwater management.
Hundreds of people gathered along the riverbanks Friday to watch the divers. Some stopped during their lunch break, while others stumbled across the competition by chance. Among them was Rebecca Kapogiannis, a 45-year-old visitor from London, Ontario, who was visiting Paris with her daughter to celebrate her graduation.
高台跳水运动员在塞纳河中挑战巴黎的复兴河流
巴黎正在塞纳河中举办首场高台跳水比赛，运动员从20米的平台跳水，背景是埃菲尔铁塔。此次在比尔哈基姆桥上的活动也暴露了这一雄心的脆弱性：组织者在周四因上游检测到烃类物质而暂停了训练。到周五，法国游泳协会表示受影响区域已得到处理，运动员得以返回水中，赛事按计划继续进行。
高台跳水将在周六结束，进行最后两轮和颁奖活动，而更广泛的欧洲水上运动锦标赛将持续到8月16日。巴黎副市长马克西姆·索维奇强调了为使河流安全游泳而进行的投资，包括防止污水直接流入塞纳河和改善雨水管理。
周五，数百人聚集在河岸观看跳水运动员。有些人在午休时停下来观看，而其他人则偶然发现了这场比赛。其中包括来自安大略省伦敦的45岁游客丽贝卡·卡波基安尼斯，她和女儿一起访问巴黎庆祝女儿的毕业。