Sailing-Mediterranean seawater given all clear in Marseille

MARSEILLE, France : Water quality for the sailing due to take place off Marseille has been given the all clear, Olympic organisers said, despite officials in the French city banning swimming from beaches earlier in the week as a result of heavy rains.

Although swimmers were told not to swim on beaches in the vicinity of the marina where the sailors launch from, the water quality did not fall below the levels stipulated by governing body World Sailing, a Games spokesperson said on Thursday.

"Water quality here inside the marina was perfect, because we built a filter to stop the garbage ... Outside on the sea it was also perfect," the spokesperson said at the venue, where sailors were preparing for racing from July 28.

Pollution in the River Seine has been a hot topic in the lead-up to the Games and Paris has put enormous effort into ensuring the river will be clean enough to swim in.

Eight of Marseille's beaches were closed for swimming on Monday after rain on Sunday, the spokesperson said, adding that it was normal for restrictions to be imposed after heavy rainfall, but these had now been lifted by the authorities.

"On the beachfront the water quality was less okay than normal, which is why the City of Marseille closed the beach for swimming, but it was still under the maximum level set by World Sailing so that's why practice could take place."

The quality of the water was being tested twice a day, in the morning and the evening by the authorities in Marseille, the spokesperson said, adding that there had been improvements made to they usual testing regime for the city's beaches.