No ‘Plan B’ for Olympics opening ceremony on River Seine, say Paris 2024 officials

The opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics will take place on the River Seine and there are no ‘Plan B’ alternatives, city officials have insisted.

However, they have conceded that the event could be scaled down depending on security risks.

The opening ceremony will see athletes parade outside of a stadium for the very first time, as part of a large flotilla of boats along the River Seine.

The event promises to be an eye-catching spectacle, however, questions have been raised about feasibility, amid heightened security risks. Last month, following a terrorist attack at a concert hall in Moscow that killed more than 130 people, France raised its terrorist alert warning to its highest level.

This week French president Emmanuel Macron, and French sports Minister Amelie Oudea-Castera, declared that Paris 2024 will not change course from hosting the ceremony on the Seine and speaking at a press briefing in Paris on Friday, the first deputy mayor of the city of Paris, Emmanuel Gregoire, and the deputy mayor in charge of sport, the Olympic and Paralympic Games and the Seine, Pierre Rabadan, confirmed that while the ceremony could be adapted, it would not be relocated.

“We have the possibility to reduce the impact and the facilities of the opening ceremony if the international risk becomes harder,” said Rabadan. “We can reduce it, the show, the number of people. But there is no Plan B.”

“Of course, we talk about hypotheses,” added Gregoire. “We are focused on preparing the situation. We are doing our best to guarantee security with major, major measures.”

French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin stated last month that France “was ready” to ensure security for the event, with security forces reportedly set to screen up to one million people ahead of the Games, including residents living near tournament sites.

French security officials are expected to outline their plans publicly in more detail this month. However, the organisers for the games confirmed there will be controls on the movement of people into homes neighbouring the river during, and in the lead up to, the opening ceremony.

“The police need to check who they are in case they represent a threat to security,” said Gregoire. “They will have strong security measures days before. The idea is to maintain the possibility that neighbours can welcome friends and family. At the same time, to guarantee security.”

Paris is aiming to host the cleanest Olympic Games in history and as part of that ambition, they plan to clean up the River Seine, which will host events such as triathlon and open water swimming.

More than one billion dollars has been spent on cleaning the river in the build-up to the Games however concerns persist about its suitability, particularly after heavy rainfall.

City officials insisted they are confident the river-based events will take place without hazard, and underlined that they are “ready” for this summer’s sporting festival.

“There is no plan B,” said Rabadan of river-based events. “We know if there is a problem we can delay the event by two days.

“We will finish all the work and the quality of water, except if you have two months of continuous rain during the summer, we will be ready.”

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(Mustafa Yalcin/Anadolu via Getty Images)