Open Swim Harmonie Mutuelle Lyon

The current pushes against your stroke as you pass the sleek steel frame of the Pont Raymond-Barre, a structure built solely for the quiet rhythm of trams and pedestrians. Above the water line, the city reveals its steep topography; from your low vantage point, the Fourvière hill looms, its basilica standing as a sentinel over the confluence. This is the heart of the Open Swim Stars Lyon, an event that brings competitive distance swimming back to the rivers that define the city's geography. While the Triangle des Eaux Bleues offers an early spring test in the nearby Miribel waters, this September race invites participants to navigate the actual urban arteries of Lyon.

Historical currents and design

Swimming here connects you to the Traversée de Lyon à la nage, a tradition that dates back to 1907. You are tracing a path through the same rivers that saw the Battle of the Arar in 58 BC, where Roman forces confronted the Helvetii during their migration. The water here is a dynamic mix of the Rhône and the Saône, which meet at the southern tip of the Presqu'île. The deconstructivist angles of the Musée des Confluences act as a modern compass point for athletes pushing through the 1100m, 3000m, 5000m, or 7000m distances. Though you won't encounter the artificial environment of the local Aquarium de Lyon, it is worth noting that the glass holding back the pressure in their shark tank is 23 centimeters thick, a stark contrast to the fluid, uncontained flow of the river you are currently traversing.