How Fast Is The Water Moving in the Seine along the Olympic 10K Marathon Swim Course?

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How fast Is the water currently flowing in the Seine along the course Olympic 10K Marathon Swim course?

Fast.

Check it out in videos above that were taken from the Pont des Invalides bridge along the Olympic 10K Marathon Swim course on the Seine in Paris. The videos were taken on the morning of July 28th as the course is being gradually set up for the triathlon races and marathon swims.

The Olympic 10K Marathon Swim will be held in the River Seine on August 8th for the women and August 9th for the men.

The 33 men from 24 countries and 24 women from 17 countries will race around 6 loops of 1.67 km each around a 10 km rectangular course in the Seine.

https://youtu.be/yXqVOLBLjgk

Swimming in the Seine for the Olympic 10K Marathon Swim at the 2024 Paris Olympics – Part 2 of 2 (https://youtu.be/yXqVOLBLjgk)

https://youtu.be/jTNwd9R4-w0

Swimming in the Seine for the Olympic 10K Marathon Swim at the 2024 Paris Olympics – Part 1 of 2 (https://youtu.be/jTNwd9R4-w0)

Reportedly, the triathlon practice sessions on the Seine were cancelled today as the speed of the water flow exceeded safety levels.

The recent rainfall in Paris has certainly added to the speed of the river’s natural currents. But with the weather forecasted to be wonderfully sunny and without rain for this upcoming week, the speed of the currents are anticipated to slow down.

Whether there will be faster flows or slower speeds, the marathon swimmers will be able to manage both these currents in mid-river and small eddies along the shorelines. However, both the men’s and women’s fields are anticipated to be tightly packed and the races will be close.

Given the speed of the water flows, every navigational and tactical decision along the way – including in and around the turn buoys and in and out of the feeding pontoons – will be critical. Perhaps no decision will be as critical as the decisions made within the finish chute – the final 50 meters into the finish. The videos above appear to show water flows that are not consistent across the entire river. So there may be some luck involved.

Interesting Side Fact

Of the 189 countries that sent at least one athlete to the swimming competitions at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, 160 of these countries did not have a swimmer who made the Olympic “A Standard” qualification times. These swimmers were invited by the IOC to take part in the preliminary heats without making the A standards.

These hard-working, dedicate athletes live up to the Olympic Creed. “The most important thing is not to win but to take part, just as the most important thing in life is not the triumph but the struggle. The essential thing is not to have conquered but to have fought well.”

In contrast, everyone in the 10 km qualified either in face-to-face, pressure-packed, top echelon open water swimming qualification races or by meeting the Olympic A standards in the 800m or 1500m freestyle in the pool.

So…the speed of the field is going to be incredibly fast – and apparently so is the current in the Seine with 20 – 21°C water.

Setting

The Pont Alexandre III is a deck arch bridge that spans the Seine in the middle of Paris. It connects the Champs-Élysées quarter with those of the Invalides and Eiffel Tower. The bridge is widely regarded as the most ornate, extravagant bridge in Paris and has been classified as a French monument historique since 1975.