Olympics
River Seine locked down ahead of Paris 2024 opening ceremony
A metal curtain descended across central Paris on Thursday as the police imposed a security perimeter along the banks of the river Seine, shutting the area off to anyone without a pass.
The Games start on July 26 with an opening ceremony that will see thousands of athletes and performers paraded along a 6-km (4-mile) stretch of the river.
Organisers promise an unprecedented extravaganza, but it is one fraught with security risks.
Metal fences were erected on Thursday. Anybody living or working inside the perimeter requires a pass with a QR code to get through checkpoints.
Some Parisians revelled in the calm, others complained about the new restrictions.
Luxury sector worker Estelle Boubault said the unusual quiet inside the restricted zone reminded her of lockdowns during COVID. “But it’s a bit more joyous than COVID, it’s the Olympics!” she said.
Departing from the Austerlitz bridge, the parade will sail by Notre-Dame de Paris cathedral and arrive near the Eiffel Tower, after passing under bridges and gateways, including the Pont des Arts and Pont Neuf, and near many of the French capital’s landmarks.
Organisers have said there will be music, dance and performances on every riverbank and bridge.
But while President Emmanuel Macron’s desire to put the city centre stage will produce great images, it will also require a security operation never before seen in peacetime France.
Some 45,000 police will be deployed to ensure the ceremony’s security, including special intervention forces. Snipers will be deployed on rooftops, an anti-drone system will be in place, and the river will be checked for submerged bombs.
Paris authorities have been telling residents for months they will need a pass. Newly-arrived tourists were caught off-guard. Some took photos of famous landmarks through metal grills.
Company executive Sebastian Bouleau said there was some confusion on the first day, and that the police did not all seem to be giving the same instructions.
“I think we just need an adjustment period,” he said.
-Reuters
The Olympic rings installed on the Eiffel Tower since June to celebrate the upcoming Olympic Games were removed from the Parisian monument early on Friday morning, as confirmed by an AFP photographer. But the Paris City Hall intends to replace them with a more permanent structure until 2028.
The five-coloured rings, measuring 29 metres in length and 15 metres in height, were placed between the first and second levels of the iconic iron structure on 7 June.
According to Inside the Games publication, Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo wants the Olympic symbol to continue decorating the monument until the 2028 Games in Los Angeles.
But the descendants of the tower’s creator, Gustave Eiffel are opposing the move. They are insisting that the Olympic rings are aesthetically in conflict with the concept and design of the Tower.
The 30-tonne rings initially installed on the Eiffel Tower were also not designed to withstand winter weather conditions.
Olympics
Despite Egypt winning 3 medals at Paris Olympics, President Al-Sisi orders sports system overhaul
Egypt’s President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi ordered a comprehensive evaluation of sports federations that participatedat the Paris Olympic Games, following a mission report submitted by the country’s sports minister.
The mandate includes a thorough expenditure check and a performance review to better highlight areas of improvement and fund allocation in future Games.
Additionally, the president plans to take necessary measures against federations —such as limiting funds— that had negative results in the Paris Games.
Egypt’s participation in sports where it lacks a competitive advantage will also be limited, as the president aims to direct resources to promising athletes to ensure optimal results. The president also aims to reduce administrative and technical staff within Olympic delegations and task relevant ministries with preparing future Olympic athletes.
Al-Sisi’s Olympic overhaul is to be presented to the cabinet for approval and urged the government to prioritise amending the sports law for the House of Representatives for review.
Egypt took home a total of three medals in the Summer Games. Ahmed El-Gendy triumphed in modern pentathlon, Sara Samir claimed the silver in weightlifting, and 21-year-old fencer Mohamed El-Sayed earned the bronze.
-Insidethegames
Paris 2024 sold a record 12 million tickets for the Olympics and Paralympics, beating the Games record previously set by London 2012, organisers said on Sunday.
Some 9.5 million tickets were sold for the Olympics and 2.5 million for the Paralympics, which end on Sunday.
In 2012, London organisers set the record for the Paralympics with 2.7 million tickets sold but only 8.2 million were sold for the Olympics.
-Reuters
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