Olympic Games 2024: opening ceremony “will be unforgettable,” IOC president predicts

The opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics on July 26 on the Seine “will be unforgettable for the athletes and everyone will be safe,” International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach assured on Friday in an exclusive interview with AFP.

Asked about the risks of attack that led Emmanuel Macron to consider a backup plan, the German leader explained that the “very meticulous, very professional approach” of the French authorities gave him “confidence” that the parade would go ahead without interruption.

“Everyone is determined to organize this opening ceremony on the Seine,” he insisted, refraining from commenting on the “Plans B and C” mentioned by the French president, that is, a possible withdrawal to the Trocadéro or the Stade de France. Last week, British Olympic Committee president Andy Anson said he was “concerned” about security issues surrounding the ceremony, staged in an unprecedented setting along the river in the heart of the capital, despite the terrorist threat and attack on the Moscow Concert Hall on March 22.

Host country enthusiasm

Thomas Bach was generally pleased to see audiences return after two Olympics marred by the pandemic, behind closed doors at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and then without foreign spectators at the Beijing 2022 Olympics. “This is extremely important because the Olympic spirit lives on when the whole world comes together and spectators can cheer on athletes from all over the world,” he emphasized.

If the approach to the Games continues to cause skepticism and concern in France, “it is not just linked to the Olympic Games, but is part of our Spirit of time (The spirit of time) because we live in uncertain times,” reasoned Thomas Bach, declaring that he “understands certain issues and certain criticisms.”

He also recalled that the sporting “success” of the host nation was “important” to the success of the Games, while France brought home 33 medals from the 2020 Olympics, which was below its ambitions. “The enthusiasm of the host country is always somehow linked to the performance of the national team,” he said, without attempting to count the number of medals to be won.

Palestinian athletes invited

In the same interview, the IOC president returned to the presence of Palestinian athletes and said there should be “six to eight” of them at the Paris Olympics, where the committee would invite them if they fail to qualify. “We have made a clear commitment that if no athlete enters the field, the Palestinian National Olympic Committee (NOC) will receive invitations,” the leader said.

Continuing the Olympics theme, Thomas Bach also confirmed he has “full confidence in the World Anti-Doping Agency” which is under fire following the revelation of positive tests of 23 Chinese swimmers in 2021, he said in an exclusive report on Friday. interview with Agence France Presse. “We have full confidence in WADA and its rules, and WADA abides by their rules,” Mr. Bach assured during an interview at the Olympic body’s headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland.