Parisians rushed for a dip in the Seine on Saturday as the authorities opened the river to public swimming for the first time since 1923 after an extensive clean-up operation spurred on by it being used as a venue in the Paris Olympics.

The French capital's iconic waterway has been largely closed to swimmers since 1923 due to pollution and risks from river navigation.

Paris opens up the River Seine for public swimming for the first time in over a century:: Paris, France:: Bathing in the long-polluted waterway has been banned since 1923 due to poor water quality:: July 5,