It was supposed to be a stunning part of the Paris Olympics: triathletes competing on the River Seine, bringing swimming back to the center of this city.
But concerns about water quality and safety persist, and on Tuesday organizers decided to postpone the swimming portion of the triathlon again due to pollution levels.
The BBC asked Parisians and tourists from around the world if they would like to get wet in the Seine.
"The river is beautiful," said the Parisian Reda, watching the Seine sparkling on a hot July day.
"But I'll never jump into it, even if it's been clean for years."
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Standing on the Most Invalida, a little downstream from the planned starting line of the men's triathlon, local residents and tourists discussed whether the swimming part of this sports discipline would still take place in the Sena.
Two training sessions scheduled for Sunday and Monday have been canceled due to pollution concerns.
They were intended as an introduction to the river before the triathlon swimming race that was to be held on Tuesday.
"I don't recommend athletes to enter," says Reda, smiling.
The Sena has already played a major role in the Olympics, hosting thousands of athletes who took part in the boat parade at the opening ceremony on Friday night.
But the rain during the ceremony and the day after, again affected the river's cleanliness.
On Monday, the organizers said that they are confident that the events on the Seine will be held as planned, but then announced that they are being postponed.
On Tuesday, it was again decided to postpone the swimming race in the men's triathlon, after tests showed that the water quality in the Seine River did not reach the required standard.
According to the new schedule, the men's race will be held on Wednesday from 10.45, after the women's competition, which starts at 8.00.
Triathlon is one of the youngest sports at the Games, and this discipline consists of a 1.500-meter swim, a 40-kilometer bike ride, and a 10-kilometer run.
Watch the video about the Sena River:
https://www.instagram.com/p/C-AxXgBIBNL/
Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo recently swam in the river to highlight efforts to clean up the Seine and try to prove the water is safe.
Previous tests have shown that there are still Escherichia coli bacteria in the water that exceed the permitted limits.
The BBC's Paris correspondent Hugh Scofield was among those who did jumped into the Seine and the mayors of Paris joined.
He accidentally swallowed the water, but noticed that it tasted good.
Swimming in the Seine, banned in Paris for a century due to poor water quality, should be allowed again next year as one of the main legacies of the Games.
Tourists who crossed the Bridge of the Invalids ahead of the men's triathlon positively evaluated the idea and said that in their countries they swim in local rivers, canals and lakes.
Visitors from the UK, Germany, the Netherlands and the Czech Republic said they would do the same in the Seine if it was proven safe.
"Yes, I would take a bath," said Dutch Esme and continued, "It doesn't look too bad from here."
France lags behind the European Union's average score for top bathing water conditions.
According to the European Environment Agency (EEA), around 75 percent of French bathing waters are rated "excellent" in 2023, compared to 85 percent across the European bloc.
While it was safe to swim in most bathing waters in the EU, coastal waters were generally better than rivers and lakes, the agency said in its report published in May.
Cyprus tops the table with 97,6 percent of excellent quality bathing water, followed by Austria with 96,9 percent and Croatia with 96,7 percent.
The EEA specifically referred to the €1,4 billion Seine cleaning project, with a specially built rainwater storage basin.
The facility can store water equivalent to 20 Olympic swimming pools, which is part of the mechanism to stop sewage flowing into the Seine during heavy rainfall.
Not all tourists are bothered by the cleanliness of the Seine, and some said they would consider jumping into the river regardless of the water quality, provided the weather is warm enough.
A man from Brazil said that he and his compatriots have already done it.
"Even in my city, Sao Paulo, it's not clean," he admitted.
A number of Parisians say a clean, swimmable river will be an exciting part of the Olympic legacy.
Danijel, a university professor, said that she would "absolutely" swim in the Sena.
"I've been wanting to do that for a long time," she said with a smile.
For a man named Damien, keeping clean was "a big but worthwhile project".
"It's a good opportunity for all Parisians," he said.
Water testing continues daily, and the organizers are still confident that swimming competitions will be held in the Seine during the Games.
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