Tag: ahead

Team USA arrives for camp in Las Vegas ahead of Paris Olympics

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FILE–Team USA head coach Steve Kerr, left, talks to his assistant coaches Erik Spoelstra and Tyronn Lue during the Fiba World Cup in Manila. Team USA is back together again, this time eyeing a fifth consecutive gold medal at the Paris Olympics later this month.–MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

LAS VEGAS — There’s something that Kobe Bryant once said that has stuck with U.S. men’s Olympic basketball coach Steve Kerr and seems especially important now.

It was about how other nations have made big strides in basketball, how the gap between the rest of the world and the U.S. is closing and how that’s been a great thing for the NBA. And Bryant’s response, paraphrased, was basically, “so what?”

His point: If everyone else is getting better, then the U.S. better find ways to do the same.

READ: LeBron, Steph Curry ‘excited’ to join forces for Paris Olympics

“Maybe we’ll show that one to the guys,” Kerr said. “I love that. And it has to be our attitude this summer.”

After months of planning, it’s time for the U.S. Olympic team — one that will go to the Paris Games later this month seeking a fifth consecutive gold medal — to take the floor. The first practice for the squad is Saturday, the start of a four-day training camp before its exhibition opener against Canada on Wednesday.

Players began arriving Thursday in Las Vegas; Stephen Curry was the first to check in for camp, perhaps underscoring how anxious he is for what will be his first Olympics. The 12 players have all known each other for years, but the task of becoming a team starts in earnest Saturday.

“I feel like it starts when it gets there, because that’s when you really see each other eye-to-eye,” said Bam Adebayo, who is seeking his second gold medal after winning one at the Tokyo Games three years ago. “You have those conversations, you have those many conversations within what we’re going through, what we’re trying to do. And that’s when it’s time to really be honest about what we want to do.”

That part is easy: Win gold.

The how-to-do-it part, that’s the key.

Last year brought another humbling World Cup experience for the U.S.; after finishing seventh in 2019, the Americans were fourth at Manila. But the argument — or justification, for lack of a better word — for those stumbles was that the U.S. wasn’t sending the best possible roster to those tournaments. Getting the big names like Kevin Durant and LeBron James for the Olympics, that’s one thing. Getting them for the World Cup and asking them to represent their country in back-to-back summers, that’s something else.

Tyrese Haliburton and Anthony Edwards were on that World Cup team last summer and were picked for this Olympic team as well.

“Obviously, last year we didn’t do what we wanted to do,” Haliburton said. “And that was frustrating because any time you get to represent USA Basketball, the expectation is to win. And we weren’t able to do that.”

READ: Wembanyama ‘can’t wait’ for France-USA showdown at Paris Olympics

This team was put together with a very different ending in mind. James is back on the Olympic team for the first time since 2012 and seeking a third gold, Durant is going for what would be a men’s Olympic record fourth basketball gold, and five other players — Adebayo, Devin Booker, Jrue Holiday, Jayson Tatum and Anthony Davis — each have one. The first-time Olympians are Haliburton, Edwards, Curry, Kawhi Leonard and Joel Embiid, someone who the U.S. convinced to play despite a strong push by France for the Philadelphia star to represent the host nation in Paris.

As far as choosing a starting lineup, good luck.

“It’s a good problem to have,” Kerr said. “I’m guessing that all 12 players on this roster will be in the Hall of Fame someday. So, how do you pick five out of 12? The idea is, you find combinations that click, and you find two-way lineups that can be effective at both ends. Our big job in Las Vegas is to find five-man combinations that fit and to just ask all 12 guys to fully commit to the goal of winning a gold medal no matter what it looks like, no matter who’s playing.”



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The Americans play their first exhibition against Canada in Las Vegas, then have games at Abu Dhabi (against Australia and Serbia) and London (against South Sudan and Germany) before the Paris Games start. The U.S. opens Olympic play July 28 against Serbia and will also have group games against South Sudan and the winner of Sunday’s qualifier in Puerto Rico — either Mexico, Lithuania, Italy or Puerto Rico.

“We’ve got 39 days or so to get locked in to go get this gold medal, 12 amazing, talented guys ready to come together for one goal,” Curry said when he arrived to check in for camp. “I’m hyped for it all.”

Latvia crushes Georgia ahead of Gilas game

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Latvia’s Davis Bertans takes a 3-pointer against Georgia during the Fiba Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Riga, Latvia.–Photo from Fiba

SCHEDULE: Gilas Pilipinas at Fiba OQT in Riga, Latvia

MANILA, Philippines—Buoyed by the home crowd, Latvia got off to a dominant start in its last-chance bid to make the Paris Olympics.

The Latvians showed why they’re ranked sixth in the world by blowing out Georgia, 88-53, on opening night of the Fiba Olympic Qualifying Tournament at Arena Riga.

“We are very happy for the way we entered the tournament after long seasons for everybody,” said Latvia coach Luca Banchi, whose squad takes on Gilas Pilipinas next on Thursday, 12 a.m. (Manila time).

READ: Fiba OQT: Bahamas tops Finland, Slovenia falls to Croatia

“The guys responded very well, starting from the defensive approach, bringing energy and good rhythm. We kept a good level of intensity all throughout the game.”

Arturs Strautins had a perfect offensive game to lead Latvia with 18 points on 5-of-5 shooting from the field including four triples and 4-of-4 from the free throw line.

Mareks Mejeris and Rolands Smits also gave the Latvians a lift with their all-around effort combining for 21 points, 14 rebounds, seven assists and four steals.

NBA veteran Davis Bertans, who plays for the Charlotte Hornets, added nine points for Latvia, which finished fifth in last year’s Fiba World Cup in Manila.

READ: Latvia’s Porzingis to have surgery, out of Fiba OQT and Paris Olympics

Latvia is expected to sweep Group A despite missing the services of NBA star Kristaps Porzingis, who recently underwent leg surgery to repair a torn retinaculum and dislocated posterior tibialis tendon.

The Boston Celtics center suffered what was considered a rare injury in Game 2 of the NBA Finals last month.

Alexander Mamukelashlivi was the sole double-digit scorer for Georgia with 14 points and four rebounds.



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RJ Abarrientos nursing hurt foot ahead of Jones Cup stint

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RJ Abarrientos during an open training with the Jones Cup bound Strong Group Athletics team. -SGA PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—RJ Abarrientos may not quite be a hundred percent in Strong Group Athletics’ run in the upcoming William Jones Cup.

The Japan B.League Filipino import bared on Tuesday at Gatorade Hoops Center in Mandaluyong that he’s been in pain after a freak injury that occurred during one of his home workouts in preparation for the looming tournament.

“I worked out in front of our house. Long story short, I stepped on broken glass while I was training and I even thought I tore my achilles. It was kind of scary,” said Abarrientos.

“When I saw that it was just a deep cut, I went to the ER and I got the results right away, they put five stitches on my foot and I even thought I was out.”

READ: RJ Abarrientos seeks improvement after first B.League season

Thankfully though, Abarrientos wasn’t ruled out like he expected to be.

After undergoing some minimal procedures, the Shinshu Brave Warrior was given the green light to start training with the squad under coaches Charles Tiu and Rajko Toroman.

However, Abarrientos was still imping from time to time during Tuesday’s scrimmages.

READ: RJ Abarrientos carries no pressure from KBL to B.League

Fortunately for him, the SGA’s coaching staff is taking it step-by-step for him to be completely ready for the Jones Cup.

“That’s the word. They’re not rushing me. They just want me to get my rhythm back,” Abarrientos said.

Whether Abarrientos recovers completely before the tournament or not, SGA will have quite the reinforcements with collegiate guards Titing Manalili from Letran and Tony Ynot from College of St. Benilde.

And Abarrientos is confident that the young guns in the backcourt will be of big help come tournament time.



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“I think the coaches have plans for Ynot and Titing that’s why they took them. Me, I’m a fan of them. I already saw their skills in the NCAA.”

Gilas Pilipinas fightback falls short vs Poland ahead of OQT

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Gilas Pilipinas’ Justin Brownlee defends Poland’s Jeremy Sochan during a tune-up game. Photo from Wojciech Figurski / Polish Basketball Federation

Gilas Pilipinas’ comeback machine faded anew on Sunday morning (Manila time) in its third and final friendly geared toward the Fiba Olympic Qualifying Tournament.

The Nationals fell to world No. 15 Poland, 82-80, at Sosnowiec Arena, unable to pocket a win in Europe right before plunging into the all-important OQT in Riga, Latvia, that will send one team into the Paris Summer Olympic Games late next month.

Justin Brownlee was the tip of the Gilas spear once again, finishing with 30 points. Dwight Ramos chipped in 16 points and nine rebounds after turning in just four in the loss against EuroBasket-bound Turkey two nights ago.

READ: Moral wins don’t count for Gilas Pilipinas in OQT buildup

Looking dead in the water with about three minutes left in the final period, the Filipinos went on a cutthroat run behind Ramos to pull within five, 82-77.

Gilas had 1:43 left to make something. But a Chris Newsome freebie and a late CJ Perez basket were the only plays the Nationals could pull off in that stretch.

June Mar Fajardo added 10 points, while Kai Sotto 8 and 11 boards in the stand that had the Philippines going 1-2 (win-loss) in its preparatory games for the OQT.

The Philippines looked sharp and poised for a commendable outing right off the jump thanks to a balanced attack from Brownlee, Ramos, Fajardo, and Kai Sotto, even putting together a nine-point edge in the opening frame.

But second-period miscues that cost Gilas several good looks and sent the Jeremy Sochan-led Poles to the charity stripe one too many times proved to be the swing the hosts needed to create a gulf that the Nationals would fall short of closing.

READ: Gilas Pilipinas loses to Turkey in tune-up ahead of OQT

Michał Sokołowski and Aleksander Balcerowski led the way for the White and Red with 21 and 10 points, respectively. Sochan, who is plying his trade in the NBA for the San Antonio Spurs, added eight points.

The Poles are also priming for the other OQT that will be held in Valencia, Spain. There, they will be battling against Finland and the Bahamas for a chance to take on the winners from the other bracket featuring Lebanon, Angola, and traditional powerhouse Spain.

Gilas’ lone win in its three-game series of friendlies came against the visiting Taiwan Mustangs last Sunday.

The 11-man Philippine squad will play Latvia and then Georgia in Group A of the Riga OQT that gets going at midnight of July 2 (Manila time).

Both Latvia and Georgia have wrapped up their test games as well. The World No. 6 OQT hosts wound up with a 1-1 card winning against Egypt and then losing to Finland. The Georgians, meanwhile, stumbled against Italy and Cameroon before finally prevailing against Egypt.

The Scores:

Poland: Sokołowski 21, Balcerowski 10, Pluta 8, Sochan 8, Ponitka 7, Zyskowski 6, Milicici 5, Dziewa 5, Michalak 5, Nizioł 5, Mazurczak 2, Żołnierewicz 0.

The Philippines: Brownlee 30, Ramos 16, Fajardo 10, Sotto 8, Newsome 6, Aguliar 4, Tamayo 4, Perez 2, Oftana 0, Quiambao 0.



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Quarterscores 16-23, 41-38, 58-56, 82-80.

Gilas Pilipinas loses to Turkey in tune-up ahead of Fiba OQT

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Gilas Pilipinas’ June Mar Fajardo and Justin Brownlee flank as Turkey player during a tune-up game in Istanbul ahead of the Fiba OQT. –TURKEY BASKETBALL FEDERATION

Gilas Pilipinas sputtered when it mattered most on Friday, bowing to Turkey, 84-73, in the second tune-up game geared towards the Fiba Olympic Qualifying Tournaments (OTQ).

The Nationals, led by Justin Brownlee valiantly fought for most of the contest at Besiktas Akatlar Culture and Sports Complex in Istanbul but had to settle with the loss with young cornerstone Kai Sotto saddled with fouls and shooting abandoning Gilas just as it was trying to mount a comeback.

Brownlee, Gilas’ naturalized ace, delivered 21 points and five rebounds while June Mar Fajardo added 17 and 11 for the Tim Cone-mentored squad priming for the OQT in Riga, Latvia next week.

READ: Gilas Pilipinas flies to Turkiye hoping to show readiness for OQT

“It was a tough loss against Turkey. We had our first taste of the type of opposition we will be facing in the OQT,” Gilas assistant coach and team manager Richard del Rosario said in a bulletin posted by the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas a few hours after the contest held early morning in Manila.

The Philippines pulled within two, 42-40, heading into the intermission. Gilas again trimmed the Turkish lead to five, 78-73, on a Brownlee slam with 1:44 remaining, just before Gilas’ offense conked out.

The Filipinos hit only five threes as the Turks converted 14 of their 41 attempts from downtown.

Sotto had seven points before fouling out with 2:35 left in the clash that had Gilas going 1-1 in its preparations for the Riga meet. Cone and his charges defeated the Taiwan Mustangs at PhilSports Arena last Sunday.

READ: Gilas Pilipinas beats Taiwan Mustangs in tune-up before OQT

Host Latvia, Gilas’ first assignment in OQT, crushed Egypt, 84-63, in a friendly late Thursday. Georgia, another Group A opponent, stumbled against Cameroon, 67-66.

Multi-time local league champion Tarik Biberovic led the way for Turkey with 23 points built on a 5-for-9 shooting from deep. Can Kormaz chipped in 12 more for the Turks who are also in their own buildup.

The Dev Adam, who are ranked 24th in the global leaderboard, are preparing for the EuroLeague and are playing a series of friendlies which includes Olympics host France.

Gilas will be wrapping up its buildup against the World No. 15 Poland on Saturday (early Sunday morning in Manila) before plunging into one of the four OQTs, which will complete the Summer Olympic Games field.

Gilas Pilipinas scores:

Turkey (84) — Biberovic 23, Korkmaz 12, Sanli 9, Sipahi 9, Osmani 8, Ozdemiroglu 7, Haltali 6, Kabaca 3, Yilmaz 3, Bas 2, Yasar 2, Ilyasoglu 0.

Philippines (73) — Brownlee 21, Fajardo 17, Sotto 7, Tamayo 7, Newsome 5, Ramos 4, Aguilar 4, Perez 3, Oftana 3, Quiambao 2, Amos 0.



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Quarterscores: 24-21; 42-40; 64-56; 84-73.

Delgaco knows tough task ahead in Paris

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PH rower Joanie Delgaco at the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China. –JUNE NAVARRO/INQUIRER

Rower Joanie Delgaco believes that winning a medal in the Paris Olympics is a formidable task. But that doesn’t mean she won’t try to.

“Every athlete wants to stand on the medal podium. I’ll certainly do my best and give myself a chance,’’ Delgaco told the Inquirer in Filipino.

Ranked No. 23 in the world, the 26-year-old from Iriga City is trying to improve her clocking in time for the qualifying heats of the women’s 2000-meter single sculls at National Olympic Nautical Stadium on July 27.

“If I’m not fortunate enough to medal, I’ll pursue my next goal of improving my world rankings,’’ said Delgaco, an Asian championships gold medalist.

Delgaco’s best time in the event is seven minutes and 39 seconds, good enough to get past the heats for a semifinal appearance.

Time to beat

A podium performance would mean clocking at least 7:19 in the finals where New Zealand’s Emma Twigg (7:13.97) is the defending champion.

“It would be a great accomplishment for me if I could row faster than my personal best in the Olympics,’’ said Delgaco, the first Filipino woman rower in the global quadrennial Summer Games.

Reaching the Olympics wasn’t only an achievement for Delgaco, who made the national training pool as an 18-year-old.

Making it to Paris erases all the pains of past failures to make the Olympics grade.

“This is my third attempt (to qualify for the Olympics) and I finally made it,’’ said Delgaco, who missed the Tokyo Olympic berth by one second and also had a failed bid for the 2016 edition in Rio De Janeiro.

She joined eight other Filipino Olympians who left Saturday for a monthlong training camp at La Moselle and Les Arenes in Metz, France, where she and the others enter the final stretch of their preparations. INQ



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Carlo Paalam ‘feeling better’ ahead of Paris Olympics

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FILE–The Philippines’ Carlo Paalam and Britain’s Galal Yafai fight during their men’s fly (48-52kg) boxing final bout during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at the Kokugikan Arena in Tokyo on August 7, 2021. (Photo by Luis ROBAYO / POOL / AFP)

MANILA, Philippines—Coming off an injury, Carlo Paalam is “feeling better” ahead of the Paris Olympics.

“Right now, it’s feeling better because I can really move it now,” said Paalam in Filipino, pertaining to his shoulder.

“Unlike before when it’s hard for me just even to change my clothes, now, by God’s grace, I’m adjusting with the help of my PTs (physical therapists) and coaches.”

READ: Paalam, Petecio relish being PH flag bearers for Paris Olympics

Paalam injured his shoulder last March which forced him to withdraw in the Round of 16 of the World Qualification Tournament.

The 25-year-old Paalam returned to action in June in the second World Boxing Olympic Qualification where he earned his ticket to the Paris Games following a unanimous decision win over India’s Sachin Sachin in the semifinal of the men’s 57kg division.

Although, Paalam is still not 100 percent, the injury doesn’t seem to be much of a concern for him as he goes for an Olympic gold three years after claiming silver at the Tokyo Olympics.

READ: Carlo Paalam hurries to be 100 percent battle-ready for Paris Olympics

“There’s some parts where it hurts sometimes but it’s very minimal,” he said.

“Sometimes I don’t feel it but I just enjoy it. This is a fight and I can manage it.”

Paalam is one of five Filipino boxers who will be competing at the Paris Games. Nesthy Petecio and Eumir Marcial, who won silver and bronze medals in Tokyo, Hergie Bacyadan and Aira Villegas complete the Philippine boxing team in Paris.



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VNL 2024: USA posts second straight win ahead of Japan clash

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USA’s Micah Christenson during the VNL in Manila.–MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines — On the eve of their thrilling match against fellow fan-favorite Japan, Micah Christenson was pleased that Team USA has found its groove in Manila after staving off Germany, 25-23, 21-25, 26-24, 25-23, in the VNL on Saturday at Mall of Asia Arena.

It was another day at the office for Christenso, leading the Americans and dishing out 29 excellent sets while Matt Anderson and TJ Defalco combined for 43 points. The United States nothced its second straight win to improve to a 5-6 record tied with 10th seed Argentina. 

“It was great. I think we hung on. We cooled out a couple of close sets. It’s a good feeling to be able to win and still learn,” said the American setter, who also scored three points. “It’s easy to learn when you lose but I think we’re gonna go back from this game with the smile on our faces that we’re able to get it done even if it was a little bit ugly.”

READ: VNL 2024: With Final 8 chances slim, Team USA turns focus to Olympics

The Germans tried to force a decider, leading the fourth set with a 23-22 advantage after Lukas Maase’s quick attack. Anderson tied it at 23-all with a kill before back-to-back winning blocks by Defalco and Jeffrey Jendryk.

Despite the great responsibility of leading the Olympic-bound USA, the American skipper isn’t afraid of taking risks and embracing great challenges.

“I feel like that pressure is created by yourself at some point as well you can create pressure. For me, I’m a Christian I believe in God and I know I get a lot of freedom from my faith in God,” Christenson said. “When I’m out there I feel free to make different decisions and take a little bit of risks because I know where my identity lies and that love is always gonna be there.”

READ: VNL 2024: USA star Taylor Averill wants to come back, explore PH

Anderson led the Americans with 23 points off 20 kills and three aces. Defalco delivered 20 points, while middle blockers Jendryk and David Smith had four blocks each to finish with 10 and nine points, respectively.

Christenson hopes to save the best for last in front of their Filipino fans as USA ends its maiden Manila stint against Japan on Sunday at 7 p.m.

“Just try to get a little bit better than today. We were starting to get on this road where we’re taking steps in the right direction and we’re gonna just try to take another step in the right direction tomorrow and enjoy also the moment, I’m assuming when I was told it’s a full stadium here,” he said.
“Hopefully, we get a little bit of support I know Japan is very popular but we’re gonna try to do our best for everybody.”

Germany dropped to a 4-7 record before facing Iran on Sunday. Gyorgy Grozer led the Germans’ gallant stand with 16 points. Maase and Tobias Krick scored 12 points, while Moritz Reichert added 10.



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‘Great expectations’ ahead for Japan in VNL Manila leg

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Team captains and coaches who will be participating in the VNL men’s volleyball
competition that will be held in MOA Arena in Pasay City. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — Yuki Ishikawa and Japan are elated to play in Manila for the third time in a row in the Volleyball Nations League (VNL) 2024 Week 3 starting Tuesday at Mall of Asia Arena. 

The Japanese men’s volleyball team, the fan-favorite of Filipinos, resumes its VNL campaign against Canada at 8:30 p.m. after the Netherlands and Brazil’s match at 5 p.m.

“We are so happy to be here again. We played for the last two years and we are doing well. This week is very important for us because, after our pool matches, we have the (VNL) finals and the Olympic Games,” said Ishiwaka, who will play in the Paris Olympics 2024. “Our goal is we’ll take good lessons to the Olympic Games. We’ll do well this weekend.”

READ: Fan favorites USA, Japan arrive in Manila for VNL

The Japan team captain, who will be with Ran Takahashi and Yuji Nishida, is determined to solidify their chances to the Final 8 with a 6-2 record in fifth place.

“Now we are preparing well, everybody here. I had some lapses in the first week and the second. We have to think always (about the) big games and we have to play well,” Ishikawa said.

Playing crucial matches in Manila, Japan’s French coach Philippe Blain vows his wards will play their best in front of the Filipino crowd.

READ: VNL set for Manila leg with Japan, USA headlining

“We know that we have great expectations also here in the Philippines with the fans. So we will do our best to make the best spectacle and the best volleyball possible to come,” Blain said.

Ishikawa agreed with his coach as Japan remains hungry despite being one of the seven countries with host France, Germany, Brazil, USA, Poland, and Canada that qualified for the Olympics.

“We are so excited to play here in front of Filipino fans. We will do our best to really show our best volleyball. I can’t way to play in front of Filipino fans,” said the reigning VNL Best Outside Spiker.



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Unsafe E. coli levels found in Seine River ahead of Olympics

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FILE PHOTO: Athletes dive and swim in the Seine River from the Alexander III bridge on the first leg of the women’s triathlon test event for the Olympics Games in Paris, Aug. 17, 2023. Water in the Seine River had unsafe elevated levels of E. coli less than two months before swimming competitions are scheduled to take place in it during the Paris Olympics, according to test results published Friday, June 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Michel Euler, File)

PARIS — Water in the Seine River had unsafe elevated levels of E. coli less than two months before swimming competitions are scheduled to take place in it during the Paris Olympics, according to test results published Friday.

Contamination levels in the first eight days of June, after persistent heavy rain in Paris, showed bacteria such as E. coli and enterococci beyond limits judged safe for athletes.

The report was published by monitoring group Eau de Paris one day after a senior International Olympic Committee executive said there were “no reasons to doubt” races will go ahead as scheduled in in a historic downtown stretch of the Seine near the Eiffel Tower.

The first Olympic event in the cleaned-up Seine is men’s triathlon, including a 1.5-kilometer (under 1 mile) swim, on the morning of July 30. The women’s triathlon is the next day and a mixed relay event is on Aug. 5.

READ: No Plan B for Olympics events in murky Seine

Marathon swimming races over 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) for women and men are scheduled on Aug. 8 and 9, respectively, in waters that were historically polluted before a $1.5 billion investment ahead of the Olympics

“We are confident that we will swim in the Seine this summer,” IOC official Christophe Dubi said Thursday at an online briefing after hearing an update Paris from city officials and Olympic organizers.

Despite the IOC’s publicly expressed confidence, the final decision on approving the events safe for athletes should rest with the governing bodies of individual sports, World Aquatics and World Triathlon.

The safety of the Seine water for the Olympics has been in doubt since some test events scheduled last August were cancelled, also after unseasonal heavy rains.

READ: Paris holds its breath for Olympic swimming events in murky Seine

According to European standards, the safe limit for E. coli is 900 colony-forming units per 100 milliliters. The World Triathlon Federation uses the same criteria to determine sufficient water quality for competitions.

During the first eight days of June, test results showed that E. coli levels frequently exceeded these thresholds. Enterococci levels were better, mostly staying within safe limits. The tests indicated an improvement, from high contamination levels on June 1 to more acceptable levels by June 9, mainly due to improved weather.

Rainwater infiltrates the sewer system, and to prevent street flooding, the excess water, carrying fecal bacteria, is diverted into the Seine. To address this, a massive reservoir capable of storing 50,000 cubic meters of water during heavy rainfall was inaugurated in May.

Water quality of rivers in major cities can be impacted by many things, from runoff to dumping of chemicals, sometimes illegally, and boat traffic.



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Earlier this week, Paris’ mayor Anne Hidalgo doubled down on her promise to take a dip in the river before the start of the competition. On Tuesday, she confirmed that her swim was postponed until after the snap elections in France, which end on July 7.