In just 100 days, the Summer Olympics will begin!
Paris will be the one hosting this Summer’s sporting events. By the looks of the city, the event’s organizers and French authorities have been sending mixed signals to the public. As this will be the biggest event ever held in France, there’s current speculation that Paris isn’t prepared to host. Here’s what Paris has so far:
Safety
Due to the protests happening throughout Paris, the French capital, about 75,000 officials will be sent out to ensure security during the games. French authorities haven’t been given a clear game plan of what they will do during the Olympics.
The security issue has affected the opening ceremony and the event’s capacity. The original plan was to accommodate 600,000 people to watch the opening ceremony but it has downsized to 300,000 people. Tickets for tourists are no longer free but are now given by invitation.
Even the French President, Emmanuel Macron, has spoken on the safety of the event, saying that the opening ceremony is at risk of being moved to the Trocadéro due to security.
Paris is also preparing security against cyber attacks.
Construction, and Transportation
SOLIDEO, the company that’s in charge of the construction for the 2024 Olympics, has completed 84% of the event’s construction just before the 2023 year ended. The budgets have been kept, and the deadlines have been met.
It’s currently suspected that there will be over 15 million people visiting the city during the Olympics. Paris is currently working on six new metro lines, but only one is predicted to be prepared by this August. Even the Mayor, Anne Hidalgo, has warned the public that the system “will not be ready and there will not be enough trains.”
The city today still has issues with public transportation.
“We still have problems in daily transport issues and we are still not reaching the comfort and punctuality needed for Parisians.”
As the city is expecting a high demand from visitors, Hidalgo wanted to find a solution to the city’s homeless problem.
“Everyone agrees on the need to make progress. We must make progress but we are not quite there.”
The Seine River
The Seine is an iconic 777-kilometer-long river located in the heart of Paris, France. The opening ceremony is organized to have over 10,000 athletes set off on boats sailing through the river.
Paris has spent over 1 billion euros in the past decade to clean the city, wanting the capital to be ready for the event in 2024 and to revive the river’s life.
However, test results have shown that the river still has harmful bacteria and pollution at a high level, making it unsafe for swimming events.
“There is a final decision where we could not swim. It’s what we want to avoid, of course. But there’s a risk, there’s always a risk. When you are in a sport where you rely on the natural conditions, you have to adapt,” said Tony Estanguest, a French canoeist.
There’s still a possibility that the river could be revived in time before the Olympics begins.
Can Paris do it?
In these last few weeks before the games begin, Paris plans to continue to work diligently to make sure everything will be prepared in time. There have been improvements to the city’s Infrastructure, such as transportation, and as well underway to ensure smooth operations during the event. Paris is on the track to be prepared and to make this year’s Olympics memorable for years to come.
