In 100 days, the Paris Olympics will begin on the Seine. This sporting event in the "Romantic Capital of the World" has many new highlights. Preparations for the Paris Games are nearing completion, but there are still challenges to be addressed, including security.
塞纳河夜景. 图片来源:Ikphoto
There's no shortage of novelty on and off the field
The opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics could set a new history, as the opening ceremonies of the modern Olympic Games were held in closed stadiums, but in 2024 this practice could be broken.
According to the Paris Organising Committee, the opening ceremony will begin at dusk, with more than 10,000 athletes from various national and regional delegations sailing about 6 kilometers from east to west on the Seine River on a pleasure boat. They will pass by landmarks such as Notre-Dame Cathedral, the Louvre, the Pont des Arts and the Musée d'Orsay, before arriving at the Place du Trocadero across the Eiffel Tower, where they will take part in the follow-up procedures and ceremonies.
If this idea is successfully implemented, it will undoubtedly become a significant stroke in the history of the modern Olympic Games. However, due to safety reasons, the opening ceremony plan may be adjusted.
In addition to the opening ceremony, the Paris Olympics will also combine attractions and competitions to fully showcase the historical heritage and cultural characteristics of Paris.
Versailles. Photo by China News Service reporter Li Yang
For example, beach volleyball will be played at the foot of the Eiffel Tower, the obelisk of the Place de la Concorde will host 3x3 basketball, BMX freestyle, break dancing and skateboarding, while the Palace of Versailles will be the venue for equestrian and modern pentathlon.
In terms of competition program settings, the Paris Olympics also have a "new atmosphere". Breakdancing, rock climbing, skateboarding and surfing will be featured as official Olympic sports, with breaking in particular being the highlight of the Olympic movement, a sport that emerged from the streets and is now on the Olympic stage.
Key projects are progressing gradually
On April 16, local time, in front of the ancient Olympia Hera Temple in Greece, at the Paris Olympics flame lighting ceremony, the high priestess used a spare flame to light the torch, and the Paris Olympics tinder was then lit. The relay of the torch in Greece officially began.
According to the plan, on April 26, the Olympic flame will be handed over to the Paris Organising Committee. On April 27, the Olympic flame left Greece aboard the three-masted ship B. Braun and arrived in Marseille, France, on May 8. How the cauldron will be lit at the Paris Olympics will inevitably be a topic of conversation for some time to come.
Olympic and Paralympic medals in Paris.
At present, the atmosphere of the approaching Olympic Games can be clearly felt on the streets of Paris, and the Paris Olympic Organizing Committee is also making final preparations before the opening.
The Olympic Village, one of the main venues for athletes during the Olympic Games, was officially delivered at the end of February this year. The entire Olympic Village covers an area of about 52 hectares, located in the northern suburbs of Petite Paris, and has been built into 82 buildings and about 3,000 apartments. More than 14,000 athletes and staff will be welcomed during the Olympic Games and around 9,000 during the Paralympics.
At a meeting of the IOC's Executive Board in Lausanne, Switzerland, in late March, IOC President Thomas Bach described that preparations for the Paris Olympics were well underway, with tests so successful so far and 13 more tests to be conducted in the coming weeks.
Tough issues remain to be resolved
The ingenious concept of the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics has created anticipation for audiences around the world, but it has also brought greater security pressure.
Previously, the French Ministry of the Interior introduced that for safety reasons, the French government will close all airports and airspace within a radius of 150 kilometers with Paris as the center and during the opening ceremony. In addition, the French security services have begun screening about 1 million people, including athletes, journalists, private security guards and those living near critical infrastructure.
On April 10, local time, Paris, France, the Seine River flooded.
Now that the opening ceremony is approaching, security concerns have not been completely dispelled. French President Emmanuel Macron said in an interview with the media that if the security risk of holding the opening ceremony on the Seine is too high, the venue of the opening ceremony may be relocated to the Place Trocadero near the Eiffel Tower, and the Stade de France is also a potential candidate.
In addition, the problem of substandard water quality in the Seine also needs to be addressed before the start of the Olympic Games. According to the plan, the Seine will play an important role in the Paris Olympics, with the opening ceremony of the runners sailing on the river by boat, and there will also be marathon swimming, triathlon and other competitions.
Earlier this month, the French Surfers Foundation said that according to a six-month monitoring process, the Seine River is still heavily polluted, with E. coli and enterococci levels seriously exceeding, making it potentially dangerous to run events in the water.
With only 100 days to go until the start of the Paris Olympic Games, the Paris Organising Committee will need to work hard to solve the difficult problems at hand. From the moment the bid was successful, Paris gave the world infinite reverie. Now that this reverie is about to come true, we look forward to the eventual dedication of this charming city to an equally glamorous sporting event.