Paris 2024: Scramble as security concerns threaten opening ceremony

Paris 2024: Scramble as security concerns threaten opening ceremony

Hassan Abdulsalam 14:24 - 20.05.2024

With just 67 days to go to the opening ceremony of Paris 2024, ISIS has threatened to disrupt proceedings at the Olympic games.

The highly anticipated opening ceremony for the Paris Olympics faces a potential cancellation due to security concerns.

French President Emmanuel Macron acknowledged the possibility, raising concerns for both athletes and organizers alike.

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The ambitious plan for the opening ceremony will be involving a parade of 160 boats carrying athletes down a 6-kilometer stretch of the Seine, culminating in a record-breaking crowd of 326,000 at the Trocadero, presents a significant logistical and security challenge.

Team USA, among others, is reportedly on high alert.

Recent Incidents Cast a Shadow

The chaotic Champions League final in Paris two years ago, similar issues at the Rugby World Cup in Marseille last year, and the heightened global tensions following threats of war all contribute to the present anxieties.

ISIS threat is specifically targeted at the game of football in the city.

The coming weeks will be crucial for the organizers as they navigate these challenges and determine the fate of the Paris 2024 opening ceremony.

USOPC Chief Security and Athlete Services Officer Nicole Deal insists the French have learned their lessons.

"I think they learned from their experiences, and that's what brings me reassurance,' she said at the Team USA Media Summit in New York last month.

"They're not stuck in their ways of doing things. They're learning and they're adapting their security to the crowds.

"For instance, I'm going to use soccer crowds for the Olympics. They're very different from World Cup or Champion League crowds. So you have to adjust your security to meet that crowd and what threat that they will bring. I think they've been really responsive to that, and understanding the differences," he said as per Daily Mail.

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