France A crucial week begins with final preparations for the opening ceremony on the banks of the Seine, with two rehearsals of the river parade on Monday and Wednesday, before the big day on Friday.
The sunshine and the weather forecasts of the last few days gave the organisation a respite after the endless rain in June. At that time, the quality of the water in the Seine and its flow did not allow swimming, which set off alarm bells.
The ceremony will take place in “calm” weather, with temperatures between 22 and 25 degrees.although with clouds, according to the Météo channel, which ruled out the risk of storms, although not of rain.
For months, Logistical and security issues cast a shadow over the celebration at the Seine“We decided to hold the ceremony (…) This is already a tremendous victory,” he said. Macron to international journalists at the Elysée Palace, the seat of the presidency.
“At first it seemed crazy,” but it will be “unique” with “world-class artists, dancers and an orchestra” that “will turn Paris into a great open-air theatre,” he added, without giving further details.
Lebron Jamesthe all-time top scorer of the NBA, will be the male flag bearer for the United States at the Games, it was announced Monday.
Hours earlier, that same Friday, the American rapper Snoop Dogg He will be one of the bearers of the Olympic flame on the last day of the journey, on the outskirts of Paris.
The Israeli delegation for the Paris 2024 Olympic GamesThe 88-member team landed in Paris on Monday amid a tense security situation due to the war against the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas in Gaza, an AFP journalist noted.
Part of Terminal 3 at Roissy-Charles-de-Gaulle airport has been evacuated ahead of the arrival of the Israeli athletes, the reporter and a source at the airport said.
The Israeli embassy in France posted a video on social media X showing Israeli judokas boarding at Tel Aviv airport. “Bonjour la France”, “Shalom la France” some of them said.
The Israeli delegation will have to comply with a strict security protocol during the Olympic Games, due to the tensions triggered by the war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip, which was sparked by the Islamist group’s attack in southern Israel on October 7.
On Saturday, during a rally in support of the Palestinian people, the leftist MP Thomas Portes He said that “Israeli athletes are not welcome at the Paris Olympics.”
But after the wave of indignation, the deputy clarified his statements and spoke of a “double standard” regarding Russia, whose athletes will participate under a neutral flag due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine that began in 2022.
The Interior Minister accused him of “putting a target on the backs of Israeli athletes” with a “stink of anti-Semitism.”
These “are already the ones who are most in danger at the Games,” said the president of the Representative Council of Jewish Institutions of France (Crif)Yonathan Arfi, who remembered the 11 “killed by Palestinian terrorists” in Munich-1972.
The President of Israel, Isaac Herzogwill be in Paris for the opening of the Games, his office announced Sunday.
This Monday, Macron He once again called for a “truce” in conflicts around the world on the occasion of these Olympic Games, hoping that they could be “a moment of peace” and “hope”.
Thousands of athletes and officials have already arrived at the Olympic Village, which was visited on Monday by the president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Thomas Bachwhere up to 14,500 people are expected at the height of the Games.
The complex, which consists of 40 low-rise housing blocks, has been built using innovative construction techniques that use low-carbon concrete, water recycling and reused materials.
The aim was also to avoid the use of air conditioning, using a natural cooling system, but some Olympic delegations have requested some 2,500 portable cooling devices for their athletes.
The IOC’s message
The Paris Games will be a spectacular event at a time of global upheaval and growing divisive forces, the president of the World Cup said on Monday. International Olympic Committee, Thomas Bachfour days before the opening ceremony of the sporting event.
The Olympic Games The French capital’s Olympics will have several unique features, with an opening ceremony on barges along the River Seine instead of the traditional event in a stadium. They will also incorporate the city’s main monuments, including the Eiffel Tower, into the competitions, many of which will be held in urban areas of the city.
They will also be the first Olympic Games to be gender-balanced, with equal numbers of men and women participating.
“Like billions of people around the world, we look forward to the Games being younger, more inclusive, more urban and more sustainable,” he said. Bach at the opening of his organization’s session in the French capital.
“We are convinced that, together with the entire world, We will experience spectacular Olympic Games“, he added, in the presence of French President Emmanuel Macron.
More than 10,500 athletes representing 206 national Olympic committees will compete in the 16-day event, 100 years since the French capital last hosted it, with more than 30,000 security officers on duty.
Bach also highlighted the challenges facing the sporting body in what he called a new world order.
“We are witnessing the creation of a new world order“He said. “Historic disturbances are upsetting the system of international relations that has existed since the Second World War.”
“The trends are clear: decoupling of economies (…) selfish interests overriding the rule of law, ‘Global South’ versus ‘Global North’. Whichever way you look at it, multilateralism is in decline.”
Source: Ambito
I am Pierce Boyd, a driven and ambitious professional working in the news industry. I have been writing for 24 Hours Worlds for over five years, specializing in sports section coverage. During my tenure at the publication, I have built an impressive portfolio of articles that has earned me a reputation as an experienced journalist and content creator.
