All eyes on Paris ahead of Olympics opening ceremony
Over a billion individuals are expected to tune in this evening as the world’s greatest athletes partake in a one-of-a-kind flotilla parade on the Seine for the 2024 Olympics opening ceremony.
The unprecedented event – the first opening ceremony to be held outside of a stadium – is anticipated to be quite the spectacle, as tens of thousands of fans, families, politicians, and celebrities line the river to watch their nation’s competitors glide past Paris’s most iconic landmarks.
Pop sensations Celine Dion and Lady Gaga are billed to perform Édith Piaf’s “La vie en rose”, an ethereal melody that once brought immense hope and relief to a traumatised France in the wake of the Second World War. Other key spectacles have yet to be revealed, as rumours swirl over who will light the olympic cauldron, what the aesthetic will be, and which other superstars may appear.
In the opening days, dozens of events will commence with British athletes appearing in badminton, diving, swimming, and tennis among others. Throughout the games, 327 athletes will represent Great Britain, with former gold medalists Andy Murray, Tom Daley, Helen Glover, and Adam Peaty returning to pursue victory once more.
International star athletes such as America’s basketball icon Lebron James, India’s javelin hero Neeraj Chopra, and France’s swimming legend Leon Marchand will also be pining for gold in their respective sports.
The 2024 Olympics marks the first games with an even split of men and women. A defiant team of female cyclists from Afghanistan will be in the spotlight as they compete under their former flag and aim “to represent the 20 million Afghan women who lack even the most basic rights”.
Ukrainian athletes also have the opportunity to showcase the plight and pride of their people on the global stage, as 140 of them go for gold in various events. The team is tragically reduced this year as 487 athletes with olympic potential have been killed by Russia’s invasion. In response to the war, Russia and Belarus have been banned from this year’s games and only a few dozen of their athletes will compete as individuals under a neutral flag.
Hosting the 2024 Olympics could be a sink or swim moment for Paris.
So far, the French have successfully cleared several hurdles in preparation for the games. Running the tightest budget yet for a modern Olympics, France has managed to purify the Seine for swimming events – in spite of a “poop protest” – and provide 35 sporting world class venues and numerous quality facilities for over ten thousand athletes.
A dark cloud hangs over the games however, as security threats and political unrest pose immense challenges. Early this morning, saboteurs torched critical wiring on high speed rail lines along three main junctures connecting Paris to the nation’s north, east, and west. The coordinated incident interrupted the travel plans of nearly one million travellers as delays and cancellations ran rampant.
While no perpetrators have been found yet, French authorities have vowed to uncover the plot.
Two days ago, a Russian man was arrested on suspicion of taking part in a sweeping Russian sabotage campaign aimed at destabilising the Olympics. Yesterday, Israeli officials warned France of an Iranian plot against Israeli athletes and spectators.
Despite these foreign threats, today’s rail sabotage may well have come from within since the political climate remains fraught in France following the country’s split parliamentary elections and ongoing Gaza protests. Only a month ago, Emmanuel Macron warned that the Fifth Republic was on the verge of civil war due to the surge of the hard-right and hard-left. Since then, France’s post-election stalemate has prevented violent unrest but tensions remain high as the caretaker government lingers without direction.
France’s internal strife and hostile foreign actors risk plunging the 2024 Olympics into disarray.
Conversely, perhaps Piaf’s enchanting mélodie will liberate France of its sorrows and divisions once again, setting the stage for a joyful celebration of modern French culture, global unity, and the incredible heights of human athleticism.
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