Amid concerns about dirty water, marathon swimmers dive into the Seine River

A bridge lined with ornate statues overlooks an Olympic open water course like no other. The Eiffel Tower, gold-domed Invalides and other Paris landmarks provide a stunning backdrop. Yet there was no getting around concerns about the safety of swimming in the long-polluted Seine River, not to mention contending with its strong current, Associated Press reported.

A hearty group of endurance swimmers dove into the waterway on a cloudy, cool morning Wednesday, their one and only chance to check out the river before they start handing out gold medals.

The training session received the go-ahead around 4 a.m., when World Aquatics got the results of daily testing that showed the water was within acceptable guidelines for illness-causing bacteria — one day after another test run was canceled because of less-favorable readings.

From 2016 Olympic champion Sharon van Rouwendaal of the Netherlands to Irish star Daniel Wiffen, competing in open water for the first time, it appeared that most competitors took advantage of the chance to swim the actual 1.67-kilometer course through the center of the French capital after doing most of their training in the pool.

The women’s 10k marathon race will be held Thursday, followed by the men’s race on Friday.