Olympic Games 2024: Paris cheer undampened by security checks, threat of rain

Paris, July 26

Olympics fever built up in Paris on Friday ahead of the evening’s opening ceremony, undampened by the threat of rain and heavy security. A flotilla of barges will carry thousands of athletes and artists along the Seine river in a nearly four-hour show starting around 7.30 p.m. (1730 GMT). Dancers will perform on the city’s rooftops, in what organisers said would be a “total show.” Hours after a sabotage attack on the high-speed TGV rail network caused travel chaos across France, crowds gathered along the banks of the river.

“We are super excited, it happens once in a lifetime. We have no idea what to expect for the parade so it will be the total surprise,” 17-year-old Elise Boukorrass said after passing through security near the Pont de l’Alma bridge with her mother and niece.

“The security checks were a bit long but it’s worth it.” American tourists Olivia Collins and her daughter Devin — a swimmer in high school – had travelled to Paris for their first Olympics.

“Yeah, we’re excited. Right?” Collins said. “We’ve been planning the trip for like two years.” Some 45,000 police and thousands of soldiers have been deployed in a huge security operation in Paris for the opening show. Police imposed a security zone along the river, erecting metal barriers to fence off neighbourhoods and requiring authorisation – passes with QR codes – to enter.

“There are more cops than people, I don’t feel in danger,” said Jean Landerretche, a 19-year-old biochemistry student from Paris. He wasn’t too worried about the rain either, “as long as it’s not really bad storms.” “I want the world to see how beautiful this city is,” said Landerretche, who said he was excited to attend the opening ceremony, the first to take place outside a stadium.

“I can’t wait to see how they managed to take the ceremony out of the stadium, I think it’s going to be a huge party,” said Julie Tourtet, 27, who is volunteering at the Games. “It’s really the Olympic spirit: it brings people together, it’s moving, we’re going to get a huge rush of emotion.” But not everybody shared the excitement.

“We are here today and it’s just so so,” 26-year-old Aimee Wang, from China, said of the atmosphere in Paris.

She and a friend planned to watch a few of the sporting events but were not so excited about the opening ceremony.

“It’s so expensive today. We’re probably just going to watch in our friend’s house,” said her friend Henry Pan, also 26.

“But the train disruptions could prevent some people from coming in today and we might be able to find cheap tickets at the last minute.” Others didn’t need tickets to watch the show live.

Alexandre Pichot, 48, didn’t realise when he moved into a houseboat on the Seine that they would have front row seats to the opening ceremony. “It’s really great. We have some good food, good French wine, good friends,” he said. “It’s perfect.”