STORY: Water quality in River Seine sparks concerns over Paris Olympics preparations
DATELINE: Aug. 23, 2023
LENGTH: 00:02:47
LOCATION: Paris
CATEGORY: ENVIRONMENT/SPORTS

SHOTLIST:
1. various of streets of Paris
2. various of the riverside of the Seine
3. various of a bridge over the Seine
4. SOUNDBITE 1 (French): Paris resident
5. SOUNDBITE 2 (French): Paris resident

STORYLINE:

Paris residents have expressed concerns over the 2024 Paris Olympic Games after organizers and other officials canceled two Paris Olympics test events over the weekend due to the poor water quality in the River Seine.

The cancellations came just two weeks after races for the 2023 World Aquatics Open Water Swimming World Cup were also canceled due to the high levels of pollution in the river.

In an interview, Tony Estanguet, president of Paris 2024, re-emphasized that there is no Plan B for swimming events set to be held in the River Seine.

SOUNDBITE 1 (French): Paris resident
"I really don't know what's going to happen. But I think there will be a lot of work to do, and I really don't know if it will work."

SOUNDBITE 2 (French): Paris resident
"I think it should have been done from the beginning, when we knew that we would be hosting the Olympics, to put into action what needed to be done. And so I think that today, it's a bit screwed up. Excuse me for using the term. But I think it is too late to do anything now, and I do not think it is possible at all to clean up the Seine for the Olympic Games."

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Paris.
(XHTV)