The mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, fulfilled her promise to swim in the Seine in an attempt to prove the water is clean enough for the Olympic triathlon.

Just nine days before the opening ceremony, which takes place on the river, and 14 days before Flora Duffy attempts to retain her Olympic title, Hidalgo took the plunge in a wetsuit on Wednesday morning alongside Tony Estanguet, head of the Paris 2024 organising committee

“The water tastes delicious,” Ms Hidalgo said as she swam 100 metres near the Notre Dame Cathedral, before adding that she felt “very lucky” that the city will be able to host several open swimming competitions in the river during the games.

Ms Hidalgo had originally planned to go for her city swim last month but was forced to postpone because of high levels of bacteria in the water, with testing by the city of Paris between June 3 and July 2 showing higher than acceptable levels of e-coli at the Alexandre III Bridge, where the triathlon is set to take place.

However, city officials yesterday sought to reassure the crowds that had gathered to watch the event.

“The Seine quality is perfect,” said Estanguet, the Paris 2024 Olympic Chief.

Swimming in the Seine has been banned since 1923 as a result of high levels of harmful bacteria but Paris has spent more than £1 million since being awarded the Games to make the Seine swimmable for the first time in more than a century.

The city says it plans to open parts of the river to the public for swimming in 2025.

“[The Olympics] will leave an important legacy for people to swim in these waters for generations to come,” said Estanguet.

As well as the mayor, around 100 participants from local swim clubs were invited to swim.

“This water has many health benefits,” said Pierre Fuzeau, a swimmer with the Paris swim club Les Ourcq Polaires, who said he rejected previous claims about the river’s pollution levels being well above swimming standards as “fake news”, claiming he had secretly swam in the Seine in the past without any issues.

“I’ve never been sick,” he said.