FLASH
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Anyone who wants to can swim in the Seine River in Paris. This is the first time since 1923 that the public has been allowed to swim in the Seine.
The seasonal opening of the Seine for swimming is seen as a key legacy of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, when swimmers and triathletes competed in its waters.
On Saturday morning, at 08:00 local time (07:00 BST), several dozen swimmers arrived before the opening and dived into the water.
There are three designated public swimming areas in the Seine: one near the Eiffel Tower, another near Notre Dame Cathedral and a third in the east of Paris.
The areas have changing rooms, beach-style showers, and allow up to 300 people to lay out their towels.
Until the end of August, all three swimming locations will be open for free at certain times for anyone with a minimum age of 10 or 14 years old, depending on the location.
Coastguards will also be present to keep an eye on those bathing in the river.
The promise to lift the swimming ban dates back to 1988, when then-mayor of Paris and future president Jacques Chirac first supported its repeal.
For 100 years, swimming in the river was prohibited due to levels of water pollution that could make people sick.
Ahead of last summer's Olympic Games, more than 1.4 billion euros (£1.2 billion; $1.6 billion) were invested in cleaning up the Seine.
But on the eve of the games there were doubts about whether the Seine River would be ready for the Olympics, after it was discovered that it failed water quality tests.
Organizers blamed the rainfall for increased pollution, which limited athletes' abilities to train for the triathlon, marathon swim and paratriathlon.
Last July, Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo and other members of the Olympic committee entered the Seine River to prove it was safe to swim in.
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