France to kick off 2024 Paris Olympics in style

EU (Commonwealth) _On Friday, France will host an elaborate opening ceremony for the Olympic Games in the heart of Paris, despite security concerns and rising geopolitical tensions.

In an unparalleled display of security, 45,000 police officers, 10,000 military, and 2,000 private security personnel will guard the procession along the Seine River, its banks, and adjacent landmarks. A procession of boats will transport almost 7,000 athletes along the river past Paris’ most iconic sites, while over 300,000 fans will line the banks.

Since the previous Olympics in Beijing in 2022, hostilities have sprung out in Ukraine and Gaza, creating a dangerous background to the Games. France is at its maximum level of security, despite officials constantly stating that there is no specific danger to the opening ceremony or the Games.

As part of a massive security operation, authorities have used powers granted by anti-terror legislation to place 155 people under rigorous monitoring measures, according to official statistics and a Reuters analysis of cases.

Meanwhile, Israeli participants are escorted to and from events by special tactical teams, and they will have 24-hour protection during the Olympics, according to organizers. Scores of foreign leaders will attend France’s opening ceremony, which will be guarded by snipers on rooftops. The Seine River has been searched for explosives, and Paris’ airspace will be restricted.

Radar-surveillance planes and Reaper drones will monitor critical areas from above during the Games, while Mirage 2000 fighter jets will be ready to intercept aircraft that enter restricted airspace.

Everything is set 

“Everything is ready,” French President Emmanuel Macron stated in a video broadcast on X. “Even the (Olympics) rings are there,” he observed, staring up at the Eiffel Tower. “Enjoy the Games!” Macron, who won a second term two years ago, anticipated the Olympics would solidify his legacy.

However, his unsuccessful bet on a hasty parliamentary election has damaged him and casts doubt on his international debut.

High security has resulted in considerable discontent from neighbors as police enforced a security zone along the river ahead of the opening ceremony, building metal barriers to fence off houses and needing authorization to enter (passes with QR codes).

Due to the limitations, cafes along the banks of the Seine, which are generally bustling during the summer, have become rather quiet. That hasn’t helped elevate the public mood toward the Olympics, which Macron expects will change once the games begin properly.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has limited Moscow’s typically large delegation of athletes to 15 who fulfilled and accepted qualifying standards to compete as neutrals, according to an IOC roster issued on July 20.

Belarus will send seventeen athletes to participate as neutrals. Ukraine is sending 140 athletes, its smallest number since the dissolution of the Soviet Union.

Floating Parade

The event, which marks the official opening of the Paris 2024 Games, will begin in broad daylight at 7:30 p.m. (1530 GMT) and will travel by several of the French capital’s iconic sites, including the Louvre Museum and Pont des Arts bridge.

“We’re going to take advantage of all the historic monuments around the Seine, and there won’t be a single riverbank or bridge that isn’t filled with music, dance, or performance,” the ceremony’s choreographer, Maud Le Pladec, has stated.

This will be the first time an opening ceremony has been held outside of a stadium. Details, such as which artists will participate and who will be the last for carrying the torch and light the Olympic cauldron to signal the commencement of the Games, have been kept hidden.

The creative team stated that they had been practicing in secret to keep everything under wraps. One major unknown for the open-air celebration is the weather. It is now scheduled to be gloomy, but organizers were hoped for a “golden hour” of sunset to light up buildings midway through the event.

More than 10,500 competitors will compete in the Olympics, which have not been held in Paris in almost a century. The tournament began on Wednesday, and the first of 329 gold medals will be presented on Saturday. The closing ceremony of the world’s largest and most celebrated sporting event will be on August 11.