By Dela Ahiawor – (Accredited Paris 2024 Olympics journalist in Paris, France)
With the countdown thinned out to days before the 2024 Olympics, many across the globe awaits Paris’ world-first outdoor Opening Ceremony on water amidst security jitters.
The outdoor opening ceremony idea emanated from Thomas Bach OLY, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) head.
Back in 2018 at the Youth Olympics in Argentina the opening ceremony was held in the open. This fact became more apparent, when Bach told Eurosport: “We had an opening ceremony in the open in 2018, at the Youth Olympic Games, and this worked extremely well. We had hundreds of thousands of people there in the main avenue in Buenos Aires, around the obelisk, and there was great emotion.”
Needless to say, that’s an adamantine defence by the IOC head to put skeptics against an outdoor opening ceremony in their place. On the other hand, seems, the fact that France is more susceptible to international terror attacks than Argentina is lost on Bach. Not to mention that, France has already cracked down on two acts of terrorism ahead of the upcoming Games.
It’s also known that, the Olympics raises a country’s terror risks. This calls for France to elevate it’s security alertness as the opening ceremony of the 2024 Olympics looms. With France providing support for Ukraine, there’s no doubt about a Russian attack aiming to put a damper on the Olympics. Don’t forget, Russia successfully hacked the opening ceremony of the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea. The armed conflict between Israel- Gaza further stoke security fears.
However, the French government and Paris 2024 organizers are brimming with confidence to pull off a brilliant opening ceremony. In April, French President, Emmanuel Macron mentioned an alternative plan (plan B and C) to secure the Games. It’s also reassuring that French Interior Minister, Gérald Darmanin announced on July 13 that some 3,512 individuals who could pose a threat to the Games were denied accreditation.
Giving voice to the security concerns Tony Estanguet OLY, chief impresario of the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games hinted there will be a ring of steel around Paris to keep visitors out of harm’s way during the Games. Indeed, any fundamental security failure at an open event, like the Paris 2024 Opening ceremony can have dire consequences. The July 13 assassination attempt on former US President, Donald Trump at a Pennsylvania rally should fill us with horror about staging the Paris 2024 opening ceremony in the open in this precarious moment of global insecurity. Recent disruptions caused by a major global cyber outage on July 19 further heightened the security fears ahead of the Olympics.
Notwithstanding all that, the commencement celebrations of the upcoming Olympics will go ahead as planned on the river Seine in Paris in the summer evening of Friday, July 26 starting 7:30 p.m.
In a bid to revolutionize the Games, a whopping 10,500 athletes from 206 National Olympic Committees (NOCs) will set sail on a flotilla of boats on the Seine river; from east to west in a parade of athletes (6) kilometres downstream-
from the Austerlitz Bridge to the Eiffel Tower. In attendance will be some 300,000 spectators roaring and cheering with abandon from the banks of the Seine.
Barring any unforeseen circumstances, this year’s Olympics will begin with an unmissable Opening Ceremony unlike any other. Not only will it be on water, it will be a once in a lifetime spectacle and larger than life.
…….Dela Ahiawor – is an accredited “Paris 2024 Olympics” journalist writing from Paris, France…….
www.delreport.com
