PARIS, FRANCE — Recognized for its iconic Eiffel Tower and wealthy historical past of innovation, Paris is about to make a daring assertion with its first Olympic Video games in precisely 100 years.
The 2024 Olympics will begin this Friday with an unprecedented opening ceremony on the River Seine, an concept that even French President Emmanuel Macron as soon as deemed “loopy and never very critical.” This formidable opening ceremony will herald 16 days of competitors unfold throughout the town.
After the COVID-19 pandemic-delayed Tokyo 2021 Olympics, Paris guarantees a grand celebration intertwining sports activities with the town’s world-renowned style, gastronomy, and tradition. This strategy goals to rejuvenate the Olympics and enchantment to youthful audiences, an important transfer as organizers have struggled to safe host cities for the Summer time Video games lately. Paris’ modern and romantic attract was pivotal in its choice because the host metropolis in 2017.
Nevertheless, the trail to those audacious Video games is fraught with challenges. Town should safe the security of 10,500 athletes and thousands and thousands of holiday makers amid a backdrop of previous extremist assaults and ongoing world conflicts. Elite French particular forces will likely be a part of the safety element for Israel’s delegation, including to the complexity.
Environmental issues
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Paris hopes these Video games will mark a major second in Olympic historical past. Notably, this 12 months’s Olympics will characteristic almost equal numbers of female and male athletes, a major stride since girls first competed as Olympians in Paris in 1900. The Video games additionally purpose to handle environmental issues by minimizing air pollution, maximizing sustainability, and using momentary venues to keep away from the pitfalls of earlier host cities that constructed unused arenas.
Iconic Paris landmarks will function gorgeous backdrops for numerous occasions, akin to seashore volleyball close to the Eiffel Tower and breakdancing, a brand new addition concentrating on youthful audiences.
The 2024 Video games’ opening ceremony, directed by prize-winning French theater director Thomas Jolly, will transform central Paris into an open-air stage, showcasing the town’s historical past and tradition. The ceremony will characteristic a parade of athletes alongside the Seine on boats, with as much as 320,000 spectators lining the riverbanks.
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The in depth safety measures embody a no-fly zone over Paris, monitored by fighter jets, surveillance drones, helicopters, and drone-disabling tools. The Seine’s banks and a number of other bridges have been secured, creating restricted zones that influence native companies and mobility.
Occasions far past Paris
The Video games will characteristic occasions far past Paris, together with browsing competitions in Tahiti. Total, 45,000 police and gendarmes, plus 10,000 troopers, will guarantee safety throughout the 32 sports activities happening within the metropolis and its suburbs. The medals for the winners are uniquely designed with polished chunks of iron from the Eiffel Tower.
By minimizing new development, Paris has saved prices and goals to chop the Video games’ carbon footprint in half in comparison with London 2012 and Rio 2016. The brand new Olympic aquatics heart in Seine Saint-Denis is predicted to profit the area people, selling swimming classes for kids within the underprivileged suburb.
A notable achievement of those Video games is the accelerated cleanup of the Seine, which can reopen for public swimming after Olympic occasions. Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo just lately demonstrated the river’s improved water high quality by taking a dip herself.
With total prices estimated at round 9 billion euros ($9.7 billion), largely funded by sponsors and ticket gross sales, Paris has managed bills successfully, preserving them under these of latest host cities.
Because the Metropolis of Mild turns into the playground for Olympians, the stage is about for unforgettable performances. Whereas not all will win medals, the collective reminiscence of competing in Paris will likely be a shared legacy for all athletes.
