Opening ceremony gets squeezed by concerns surrounding security
PARIS » The talk before the opening ceremony of the Paris Games ideally should be about its grandiose backdrop: a summer sun setting on the Seine River as athletes drift by in boats and wave to cheering crowds.
But behind the romantic veneer that Paris has long curated, mounting security concerns already have had an impact on the unprecedented openair event. In January, the number of spectators allowed to attend the ceremony was slashed from around 600,000 to around 320,000.
Tourists were told they won't be allowed to watch it for free from riverbanks because the French government scaled back ambitions amid ongoing security threats. Then, on March 24, France raised its security readiness to the highest level after a deadly attack at a Russian concert hall and the Islamic State's claim of responsibility.
French President Emmanuel Macron says the ceremony could be shifted instead to the national stadium at Stade de France if the security threat is deemed too high.
Security and transportation are the biggest concerns heading into the Paris Games, which run from July 26-Aug. 11.
Here is an overview of preparations:
VENUES » The Olympic Village and the biobased Aquatics Centre are in proximity to Stade de France. The 5,000-seat aquatics venue made predominantly of wood connects to the national stadium via a footbridge.
While the village and the aquatics center in the poor, run-down area both leave a legacy for the future, the Games are steeped in history across the 35 venues.
Equestrian riders will gallop on the grounds of the royal Palace of Versailles, where Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette once held lavish banquets.
B-boys and B-girls cutting improbable shapes, BMX freestylers launching into gravity-defying moves, skaters flipping boards and 3-on-3 basketball players facing off will provide a youthful vibe at an urban park at Place de la Concorde, a prominent location in France's gory past.
It is where Louis XVI died by guillotine in 1793 and where French revolutionary Maximilien Robespierre met the same fate a year later. It's also been home to the Luxor Obelisk for nearly 200 years.
The Grand Palais, built for the Paris Universal Exhibition in 1900, hosts fencing and taekwondo, while the Yves-du-Manoir Stadium in the northwest suburb of Colombes is another link to the past: It was the main venue for the 1924 Paris Games. This time it holds field hockey matches.
The Parc des Princes soccer stadium, home to Paris Saint-Germain star Kylian Mbappé, is one of seven stadiums around the country hosting matches. France fans hope Mbappé will play for Les Bleus.
Beach volleyball takes place near the foot of the Eiffel Tower, while tennis, naturally, is at Roland Garros, home of the French Open. Roland Garros, where Rafael Nadal has made history with his record 14 Grand Slam titles at one tournament, also packs a punch as the venue for boxing.
Surfers won't be in Paris, however, but rather nearly 10,000 miles away in Teahupo'o, a coastal village in Tahiti, and they will sleep on a cruise ship docked at the French Polynesian island.
Breezy Marseille hosts the sailing events. TICKET SALES » Around 9 million of the 10 million available tickets have been sold, organizers said, with 63% of buyers from France. The top 10-selling sports in order: soccer, track and field, basketball, rugby sevens, volleyball, handball, beach volleyball, field hockey, tennis and water polo.
The Paris Games' organizing committee will put an additional 250,000 tickets up for sale on April 17 to mark the 100 days to go.
Tickets are on sale via the official platform, with a sliding barometer allowing buyers to choose a price ranging from 24 euros ($26) to 2,700 euros ($2,900) — the highest price for watching the opening ceremony, the first to be held outside of a usual stadium setting.
Remaining hospitality packages for soccer matches and the women's basketball quarterfinals begin at 250 euros ($269), and they start at 375 euros ($404) for the men's basketball game between the United States and South Sudan in Lille — one hour from Paris by train — on July 31.
Regular tickets for the U.S. women's gold medalgame rematch against Japan on July 29 range from 50 euros ($54) to 200 euros ($216).
Want to watch the BMX freestyle finals? Regular tickets are sold out.
But fans can still get tickets for the men's 200 meters and women's 400 meter hurdles finals on Aug. 8 at Stade de France with tickets that day priced at 295 euros, 525 euros and 980 euros.
SECURITY » Around 30,000 police officers are expected to be deployed each day, with 45,000 working the opening ceremony.
With its own resources stretched thin, France has asked 46 countries to help provide about 2,200 extra officers, many of whom will be armed. The French Defense Ministry also has asked foreign nations for a small number of military personnel, including sniffer dogs.
Tony Estanguet, the head of the Paris Games' organizing committee, said there will be unprecedented security measures.
“France has never deployed so many means for security,” he said. “I have faith that the security services in our country will make the Games safe.”
Cameras will be increased around the city, but facial recognition will not be used.
So far, 120 chiefs of state have confirmed they will attend the opening ceremony. Holding it outside a stadium means greater exposure for athletes paraded on 84 boats on the Seine along a 6-kilometer (3.7-mile) route toward the Eiffel Tower, with 20,000 people living in apartments having views of the ceremony. Behind multiple security cordons, paying spectators will watch from the lower embankments while upper embankments are free for those with invitations.