Women’s 10km swimming: Seine current puts athletes in difficulty
(Ariana Ravelli, Sent to Paris) Six minutes to cover the fast side, and at least 15 minutes to swim the return side against the current: the women’s 10km cross-country race is halfway through, with the Italians competing. Julia Gabrieleschi and Ginevra Tadeucci (Currently sixth and third respectively). The Seine has been declared suitable for swimming following the latest analyses on water quality, but what is discussed are the very particular competition conditions in which the swimmers have to compete, which are quite anomalous compared to those they are used to (and indeed cross-country swimmers take into account adaptation to the most diverse contexts, fresh water, salt water, hot water, cold water, artificial basins, ports, lakes, the sea). But no one has ever swum in a river like the Seine: on the short side against the current, when they have to turn back, they have to lean at a 45 degree angle because the current carries everyone away, and then they all have to stick to the banks and barges to find more sheltered places. It is therefore practically impossible to overtake it on the course against the current. For example, he speaks of “offensive conditions for swimmers who turn against years of preparation”. Luca SacchiFormer Olympic swimmer and rai commentator.
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