1 month ago
PARIS (AP) — As nan countdown timepiece to nan Paris Olympics passed nan 100-day mark, nan mobility of holding nan opening ceremonial connected nan Seine River loomed ample complete nan milestone celebrations connected Wednesday.
Organizers person planned a parade of astir 10,500 athletes done nan bosom of nan French superior connected boats connected nan Seine on a 6-kilometer (3.7-mile) way successful nan opening ceremonial astatine sunset connected July 26.
PARIS PREPARES FOR 100-DAY COUNTDOWN TO OLYMPICS, AIMING TO REIGNITE PASSION FOR THE GAMES
But French President Emmanuel Macron said connected Monday that nan exceptional open-air arena successful cardinal Paris could beryllium shifted to a much accepted opening ceremonial astatine nan Stade de France if nan information threat is deemed excessively high.
"If we deliberation location are risks, depending connected our study of nan context, we person fallback scenarios. There are scheme Bs and scheme Cs," Macron said.
The countdown timepiece reference 100 days earlier nan Paris 2024 Olympic Games opening ceremonial is seen Wednesday, April 17, 2024 successful Paris. The Paris 2024 Olympic Games will tally from July 26 to Aug. 11. (Christophe Ena/AP Photo)
France is connected precocious information alert up of nan Paris Olympics and Paralympics, which are expected to tie millions of visitors to nan country. Organizers, French authorities officials and French athletes astatine nan J-100 ("100 Days To Go" Olympic event) connected Wednesday each acknowledged information concerns complete nan opening ceremony, which will bring immense crowds and complete 100 world leaders to nan embankments.
They insisted that preparations for nan parade connected nan Seine are still successful afloat plaything and should spell up arsenic planned.
"We are heavy moving connected Plan A which remains nan cardinal script and nan very, very ascendant scenario," France’s Sports Minister Amélie Oudéa-Castéra said.
She added, enthusiastically and pinch a ample smile: "We support moving connected that awesome ceremonial connected nan River Seine."
The sports curate emphasized that visitors to Paris will beryllium safe during nan Olympics.
"We cognize that risks exist," Oudéa-Castéra said. "We cognize nan world is complex, sometimes unstable, sometimes unpredictable, sometimes dangerous," she said, earlier insisting. "We really want to opportunity to nan full world that, successful immoderate case, France will beryllium a safe place."
Tony Estanguet, nan caput of nan Paris Games’ organizing committee, said nan scheme to unfastened nan Games pinch nan sunset parade connected nan Seine remains unchanged and "it’s our duty, our domiciled to make judge it will happen."
However, location are arsenic yet unspecified contingency plans successful spot whereby organizers will accommodate to immoderate circumstances that mightiness arise, Estanguet added.
David Lappartient, nan president of nan French National Olympic and Sports Committee, accepted location are challenges successful preparing an arena for illustration nan Olympics successful a metropolis for illustration Paris astatine nan clip of heightened tensions and raging wars.
"The business worldwide is rather complicated," said Lappartient, who is besides an International Olympic Committee member. There are challenges pinch carrier and security, and it’s reasonable and reassuring that nan "government is trying to spot each nan options connected nan table."
Former France handball prima Michaël Guigou, who won aggregate Olympic and world titles, said information risks person go portion of regular life reality successful France, specified arsenic erstwhile he goes to a concert. But he has afloat spot successful information arrangements astatine nan opening ceremonial — wherever it whitethorn return spot — and successful instrumentality zones, Olympic venues and nan metropolis of Paris itself.
"It’s portion of life today, unfortunately," Guigou said. "We person capable intelligent and competent group successful spot to look aft that, truthful I’m not doubting things."
Dany Dann, a French breaker who will return portion successful his first Olympics arsenic breaking makes its debut, has nary concerns.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
He is only anxious to get started, connected nan Seine, astatine nan Stade de France aliases anyplace other successful Paris.
"I conscionable want to unrecorded nan Games," Dann said. "We cognize that if it’s moved near aliases right, things will beryllium organized truthful that everything’s fine. I americium concentrating connected my mentation for nan Games."
