2024 OLYMPICS. People look at the Eiffel Tower Stadium, which will host Beach Volleyball during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games and the Blind Football during the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, in Paris, France on June 25, 2024. Paris is in the final stages of its preparations for the Summer Olympics. (Photo by Julien Mattia/Xinhua)
PARIS – With one month to go until the opening ceremony, Paris is in the final stages of its preparations for the 2024 Summer Olympics.
Here is a look at how the French capital is shaping up to stage the world's largest sporting event for the third time in its history.
Going operational
Over the coming days and weeks, the Paris 2024 organizing committee will step up its transition from preparation to operation mode.
Major facilities and venues that will open their doors include the Main Press Center, the International Broadcast Center, and the Olympic Village, which will accommodate more than 14,000 residents, comprising athletes, coaches, support staff, and officials.
The Paris 2024 Main Operations Center, which has been functional since mid-April, was due to start its full Games-time operations on June 26, while finishing touches are also being made to other venues.
The construction of temporary facilities at key Parisian sites like the Concorde and Trocadero public squares, the Invalides monument, and the Eiffel Tower is nearing completion. These works include provisional grandstands to accommodate 37,000 spectators for events such as basketball, skateboarding, BMX, and breakdancing. Authorities have also implemented traffic detours designed to make large swaths of the city pedestrian-friendly.
On the competition front, more than 80 percent of the qualifying schedule has been completed, representing more than 8,000 athletes.
The remaining event slots will be confirmed by the end of June, and national committees have until July 8 to register their athletes. Paris 2024 will mark the first time that athlete participation at the Olympics will feature full gender parity.
Fans
More than 8 million tickets have been sold so far for Paris 2024, already ensuring that it will be one of the best-attended Games ever.
The organizing committee has reported particularly high demand for athletics, swimming, basketball, football, and rugby sevens. Other popular events are volleyball, handball, beach volleyball, field hockey, tennis, and water polo.
Fan enthusiasm has already been evident in the buildup to the Games, with more than 2.5 million people attending the Olympic torch relay in France, including 150,000 in Marseille. Another 6 million people have followed the relay on television.
The general public can also participate in the mega-event through the Paris 2024 Cultural Olympiad, a multidisciplinary artistic and cultural program that features more than 2,000 projects, 80 percent of which offer free entry.
Additionally, more than 900 activities for fans have been set up across France, providing opportunities to watch the Games, engage in cultural and sports activities, explore cities, and enjoy the local cuisine.
Security
Amid concerns over potential threats such as drone attacks, the French government has halved the spectator capacity for the Olympic opening ceremony.
Up to 300,000 people will be able to watch the ceremony from stands located on the banks of the River Seine, down from an initial plan to accommodate 600,000.
The curtain-raising event will feature national teams parading in boats along a 6-km. stretch of the Seine through central Paris.
However, French President Emmanuel Macron has indicated that the ceremony could be relocated to an enclosed stadium if security risks escalate.
To ensure safety, the French government is deploying approximately 20,000 soldiers and more than 40,000 police officers, with additional support from 2,000 troops and police officers from other countries.
Paris police chief Laurent Nunez has said that about 30,000 police officers and 18,000 soldiers from the armed forces would be mobilized daily throughout the Games.
Organizers have given assurances that the security measures would guarantee the safety of participants and spectators.
Parliamentary elections
The announcement by Macron of new parliamentary elections – after his party's defeat to the National Rally (RN) in the European parliamentary vote – will not impact the Games, according to the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
Macron's decision to hold the snap legislative poll, aimed at regaining his political footing, will see voting take place on June 30 and July 7.
Speaking at a Paris 2024 event, IOC president Thomas Bach expressed confidence that the upcoming elections would not disrupt Olympic preparations.
He stressed that France is experienced in conducting elections and that political leaders are united in their support for the Games.
"I have no indications whatsoever that this unity will break now, just ... before the Games open," Bach said.
While some, such as Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo, have voiced concerns at the timing of the vote, the local organizing committee reflected Bach's sentiments.
"We are more determined than ever to make the Games a success," Paris 2024 chief Tony Estanguet said.
"There were around ten elections since we launched the candidacy for the Olympics, and we understood how to work with the public actors."
Paris 2024 in numbers
An estimated 10,500 athletes from more than 200 countries and regions will converge on the French capital to compete in 329 events over 17 days.
Meanwhile, more than 15 million tourists are expected to visit Paris during the event, while 4 billion viewers are forecast to tune in to television.
A 62,000-strong security force will be deployed for the opening ceremony, comprising police and military personnel.
Medals will be decided across 32 disciplines, including four newcomers: surfing (to be staged in Tahiti), sport climbing, breaking, and skateboarding. Some of these sports have previously been included at the Olympics in exhibition categories.
The total budget for the Games is 8.8 billion euros (about USD9.62 billion), though the final cost will not be known until later this year.
France's national audit office has said the public spending bill could reach 3 billion euros and would be allocated to projects that benefit the long-term needs of local communities.
Ticket sales are surging toward 9 million and are expected to reach 10 million by the Games' end, organizers have said.
It is estimated that 30,000 volunteers will participate in providing general information, helping spectators at venues, supporting athletes, and assisting in the 6,000 planned doping tests.
Meanwhile, 13 million meals and snacks will be served to fans, athletes, officials, and support staff during the Games. (Xinhua)
