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President Macron: France Ready for Paris Olympics

Written by Jerry Alomatu on July 22, 2024

News Views: 96

President Emmanuel Macron announced on Monday that France is fully prepared to host the Paris Olympics as he visited the Athletes’ Village just days before the Games’ opening. “We are ready and we will be ready throughout the Games,” Macron declared, emphasizing the extensive preparations and the significant transformation of the Seine-Saint-Denis area, where the Athletes’ Village is located.

International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach also visited the Village, which will accommodate up to 14,500 athletes and officials at the peak of the Games. The complex, consisting of 40 low-rise housing blocks, showcases innovative construction techniques using low-carbon concrete, water recycling, and reclaimed building materials. Initially designed to be free of air-conditioning, some Olympic delegations have ordered 2,500 portable cooling units for their athletes.

Seine-Saint-Denis, the poorest area in France and the location of the main athletics stadium, anticipates long-term benefits from the Olympics. Macron promised that the area would not be neglected post-Games, stating, “I will come back after the Games to see the legacy with you and to see how life has changed.”

France’s foreign minister affirmed the welcome of Israeli athletes at the Paris Games following a controversial call by hard-left French parliamentarian Thomas Portes to exclude them due to the Gaza conflict. Stephane Sejourne labeled Portes’ call “irresponsible and dangerous,” assuring that “the Israeli delegation is welcome in France,” and promising their security.

French Jewish groups and political figures reacted strongly against Portes’ comments. Yonathan Arfi, head of the Representative Council of Jewish Institutions in France, criticized the remarks for endangering Israeli athletes, recalling the 1972 Munich Games tragedy.

The Paris Olympics will feature an unprecedented opening ceremony on the Seine River, with 6,000 to 7,000 athletes sailing on 85 barges and boats, passing iconic landmarks such as Notre Dame Cathedral. The athletes will disembark at the Trocadero, opposite the Eiffel Tower, for a grand finale that organizers promise will be spectacular. The event will be witnessed by up to 300,000 ticketed spectators and another 200,000 onlookers from nearby apartments.

In sports, Slovenian cyclist Tadej Pogacar aims for Olympic gold in the road race after his recent Tour de France victory. “We are living in the golden age of cycling,” Pogacar remarked, celebrating his triumph as the finish line was moved to Nice due to Olympic preparations in Paris.