President, Emmanuel Macron, on Monday affirmed France’s readiness to host the Paris Olympics as he visited the Athletes’ Village just four days before the Games’ commencement.
“We are ready and we will be ready throughout the Games,” Macron stated. “We have been working on these Games for years now and we are at the start of a decisive week which on Friday will see the opening ceremony and then the Olympiad which will be held in Paris, 100 years since the last one.”
He continued, “This is the fruit of an immense amount of work which has profoundly changed the country, in particular the area” of Seine-Saint-Denis, where the Athletes’ Village is located.
International Olympic Committee President, Thomas Bach, also toured the Village, situated to the north of Paris, as thousands of athletes and officials began arriving, with a peak expectation of up to 14,500.
The complex, consisting of 40 different low-rise housing blocks, has been constructed using innovative techniques, such as low-carbon concrete, water recycling, and reclaimed building materials.
While the Village was designed to be free of air-conditioning, relying on a natural cooling system, some Olympic delegations have expressed doubts, prompting the order of around 2,500 portable cooling units for their athletes.
Seine-Saint-Denis, France’s poorest region and the location of the main athletics stadium for the Olympics, anticipates long-term benefits from the event.
Macron assured the community it would not be overlooked post-Games.
“I will come back after the Games to see the legacy with you and to see how life has changed,” he pledged.
In related news, France’s foreign minister affirmed that Israeli athletes are welcome at the Paris Games following controversy sparked by a far-left French parliament member’s call for their exclusion due to the Gaza conflict.
“The Israeli delegation is welcome in France,” stated Stephane Sejourne in Brussels, ahead of discussions with his Israeli counterpart.
He condemned the call by France Unbowed (LFI) lawmaker Thomas Portes as “irresponsible and dangerous.”
“We will ensure the security of the delegation,” Sejourne added.
Portes’ remarks drew strong rebuke from French Jewish groups and political figures.
head of the Representative Council of Jewish Institutions in France, Yonathan Arfi, criticized the comments for “putting a target on the backs of Israeli athletes,” referencing the 11 Israeli athletes killed by Palestinian terrorists at the 1972 Munich Games.
Meanwhile, France security forces continued preparations for the unprecedented opening ceremony on Friday, the first time a Summer Olympics will open outside the main stadium.
Between 6,000 and 7,000 athletes are to sail down the Seine River on 85 barges and boats, with iconic landmarks like the Notre-Dame cathedral, currently under renovation, as a backdrop.
The ceremony will culminate at the Trocadero opposite the Eiffel Tower, promising a spectacular event.
Up to 300,000 ticketed spectators will watch from stands and the riverbanks, with an additional 200,000 expected to view from nearby apartments.
On the sporting front, Slovenian cyclist Tadej Pogacar aims for Olympic gold in the road race after securing his third Tour de France victory on Sunday.
“We are living in the golden age of cycling,” Pogacar proclaimed following his dominant win in Nice, where the finish was relocated due to Olympic preparations in Paris.
