Ana Marcela Cunha asks for ‘plan B’ on the Seine in Paris-2024 – 03/08/2024 – Sport

Will it be possible to swim in the River Seine? The uncertainty regarding the hosting of some swimming events at the Paris Games worries the current Olympic champion in open waters, Brazilian Ana Marcela Cunha, who calls for a “plan B” that prioritizes the health of athletes.

Five months away from the long-distance swimming competitions, which will be held on August 8th and 9th, the organizers are still fighting to improve the quality of the emblematic French river, which will also be the stage for the triathlon events.

Water samples collected between June and September last year showed concentrations of the two bacteria that indicate fecal contamination above (in several cases) permitted levels, according to analyzes by Paris City Hall sent to AFP.

“We didn’t have the test event last year because of this, which worries us most, because they insist on wanting to do it there,” said Ana Marcela, considered one of the best athletes in history in the sport, in an interview with AFP on end of the Rainha do Mar 2024 competition, on Copacabana beach, in Rio de Janeiro.

Changing the location of the tests “will not take away the history that Paris has, it will not take away the history that the Seine has. We understand the Alexandre III bridge, part of the Eiffel Tower. I think there are several important points for them, but I I think the athlete and health come first”, adds the swimmer.

“Never give up”

Decontamination work could be in vain in the event of rain, as runoff from the streets could pollute the river again.

Despite the doubts surrounding the Sena, Ana Marcela remains focused on the goal of repeating the gold medal she won at the Tokyo Games in 2021.

The task does not seem simple. Born in Salvador (BA) and owner of seven gold medals in World Aquatic Sports (five in 25 km events and two in 5 km), the swimmer, who will turn 32 on March 23, is going to her fourth Olympic participation .

In Paris, she will face world and Olympic champions, such as German Leonie Beck and Dutch Sharon van Rouwendaal (gold at the Rio 2016 Games).

But inspired by one of her favorite songs (‘Days of struggle, days of glory’, by the band Charlie Brown Jr.), the title of which she has tattooed on her left arm, she says she’s going to fight.

“We will lose, we will win, we will fight, but never give up. I believe in this a lot and I live this song every day.”

“The Seine was not made for swimming”

Does the situation on the River Seine concern you? There has to be a plan B in case it is not possible, there is another place that we know where it can be done. It’s a lot for the organization to accept that perhaps, unfortunately, they won’t be able to hold the race where they want and worry about the athlete’s health, which comes first to fight.

What do you think before competing in potentially dirty waters? I think it’s a before and after. On the day of the test, we don’t have anything else to do, it’s already there and that’s what we have. And then, because we go out and in 15 days we may or may not get sick, there may be something… When it comes to competing we don’t care about that, we worry later.

Do you need to take special care so that your sport is not affected by water contamination, amid the climate crisis? We need it and it’s everyone’s care, because this is just how it is, the way it is, maybe because of people, because of the way people 50 years ago have been making the situation worse, throwing plastic in the sea, throwing plastic in the street. It all has to do with what we did with nature, but I also believe it has to do with the structure in Paris: the River Seine was not made for swimming.

Do you feel favored for gold? I know everyone expects this, it’s something I can handle under pressure and expectation. But everything I’ve been through, the changes, the shoulder surgery [realizada em novembro de 2022]. I think the girls [adversárias] They respect me and I will arrive, yes, being well looked after, but I believe I am very calm.

Will this be your last participation in the Olympic Games? I say that while I’m happy, evolving, I don’t want to put a date, because it seems like you’re entering a countdown. I don’t want to have a stop date.