According to an exclusive report by British media outlet The Mail
Paris Olympics
Organizers urged to cancel on Seine River
opening session
The "reckless" plan. It is reported that some Olympic teams have advised athletes not to participate in the opening ceremony for safety reasons.
For the first time, the opening ceremony of this year's Paris Olympics will be held outside the stadium. More than 10,000 athletes will sail along the Seine in boats, and 300,000 spectators who have purchased tickets for the Opening Ceremony will watch the spectacle along the riverbank. The entrance of the athletes will take place on the Seine, where 6,000 to 7,000 athletes representing the participating countries will travel 6 kilometers from east to west along the Seine in 85 boats in the colors of their respective delegations, passing the Pont d'Austerlitz near the Botanical Gardens of Paris, circling around the islands of Saint-Louis and Île de la Cidé, crossing eight to ten bridges and gates, and ending up at the Palais de Château for the last part of the Opening Ceremony. Some of the spectator stands along the Seine have now been erected.
Reports say that although 45,000 police officers will be deployed in Paris for the opening night, in recent weeks local
security issue
remains grim. One influential athlete has called for the opening ceremony to be moved to the Stade de France, arguing that the unprecedented open-air event poses unnecessary risks to athletes. In an interview with the Post, Rob Kohler, director general of the Global Athletes Association, said, "I think it does need to be reconsidered and changed, the plan is a bit reckless and we should go back inside the stadium. I understand that four national Olympic committees are considering advising athletes not to attend the opening ceremony because of the high security risk. If the athletes decide to attend, that's their choice, but if they don't go for security reasons, we will support them."
Responding to the media last month, French President Emmanuel Macron said that they had a back-up plan in place and that the opening ceremony might only be held at the Place du Trocadero on the Seine opposite the Eiffel Tower, with the Stade de France as a last resort, if there were too many security concerns. However, IOC President Thomas Bach insisted over the weekend that the opening ceremony would go ahead as planned. The situation was also confirmed by the Paris Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games (OCOG), whose president, Estanguet, told a press conference on the 21st that the weather in Paris would be fine for the next five days and that the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games would be held on the Seine as originally planned. Meanwhile, security is the first priority of the Games.
The Mail understands that the British Olympic delegation are confident in the security measures taken by the organizers and see no reason why their athletes should not be present at the opening ceremony.The opening ceremony of the 33rd Summer Olympics in Paris in 2024 will begin on the evening of July 26 at 19:30 local time.
