Story link: https://www.wralsportsfan.com/would-you-swim-in-the-seine/21555203/
While in Paris, our group was credentialed to two press centers: the Main Press Center (MPC), sponsored by the International Olympic Committee, and the Paris Media Center (PMC), sponsored by the Parisian government. The MPC was the home for major news outlets, hosting daily press conferences with Olympic teams. The PMC primarily held press tours to explore the city, so I typically used their stunning work spaces– fitted with audio booths, massage rooms, free food and coffee, and more– to work on my stories.
On the day the Seine River was used for the Men’s triathlon after being delayed, I received an email that the PMC would be hosting a press conference with Pierre Rabadon, the deputy mayor of sports of the Olympic and Paralympic Games in the Seine River, and Antoine Guillou, the director of waste reduction and sanitation. My friend Sami and I quickly grabbed our equipment and hopped on the metro to the PMC.
The Seine had been deemed unsafe to swim in for over a century. Paris had committed to hosting all open-water Olympic events in the river—with no backup plan. I was closely following this story leading up to the games as $1.4 billion was poured into the cleanup efforts. On the days leading up to the event, the E. Coli levels were above 1,000 CFU–the European safety limit for swimming. This was due to the heavy rainfall leading up to the games which can send sewage into the river– remember the rainy opening ceremony with everyone in ponchos?
But by 2 A.M. the night before the triathlon, tests revealed the bacteria levels had dropped between 500-600 CFU.
When we arrived, I had never seen the PMC so packed. The officials shared they swam in the Seine 10 days prior and would not “play games” with the health of the athletes. They expressed their excitement, outlining long-term plans to open the Seine to the public in the next year. After the larger press conference, I interviewed Guillou one-on-one. When asked how they will manage the bacteria levels once the river is open to the public, he said “I am not much of a scientist or biologist.”
I began editing the interview at the PMC before heading to the Seine River by the Hôtel de Ville to film my standup. In the standup, I ask viewers, “Would you swim in the Seine?”After capturing plenty of b-roll, I headed to a nearby restaurant to finish editing and send the package to WRAL.
It was a whirlwind of a day. The thrill of covering a breaking story and attending a press conference alongside outlets like CNN was an experience I’ll carry with me for a long time.
