The challenges 100 days before the opening of the Paris Olympic Games

100 days after the opening of the Paris Olympic Gamesthe facilities are prepared and the main concerns are focused on safety, especially at the opening ceremony at the Seine riverwhich is a great challenge.

The olympic flame It was lit on Tuesday in Olympia and will have a tour of Greece before arriving on May 8 in Marseille, where until the Olympic opening on July 26, it will begin a trip throughout France, which will even take it to the Antilles or French Polynesia.

An opening that generates doubts

The ambition to have a historic opening ceremony, for the first time outside a stadium and in a place as symbolic as the Seine River, has become a headache due to the necessary security device.

On Monday, the President of France, Emmanuel Macron, reaffirmed the intention to maintain the initial idea, although at the same time he gave impetus to speculation by pointing out that in the event of a significant threat there are “plans B and C.”

It is the first time that the hypothesis, until now excluded by the authorities, that it is possible that the event took place inside the Stade de France, in Saint-Denis (northern outskirts of Paris), has been admitted.

The international context adds tension to this issue: the conflict continues between Russia and Ukrainewhile the situation in the Middle East has been aggravated by Iran's recent attack on Israel.

In France, the Vigipirate Plan recently raised the level to “Urgent Attack” after an attack in Moscow on March 22 for which the Islamic State has claimed responsibility.

“Clearly, the context is one of tension,” a security source confirmed to AFP, although Sports Minister Amélie Oudéa-Castera explained that until now no specific threat to the Games had been detected.

According to what the president of the Organization Committee, Tony Estanguet, told RFI radio on Tuesday, the opening on the Seine remains the “main plan” and it is “very likely” that it will be the scene of the ceremony.

The transportation challenge

Despite the mobilization of the authorities on this matter, will transport be prepared to absorb the flow of spectators for the Olympic Games in the Parisian summer?

The French capital's metro shows no noticeable signs of improvement and negotiations are still ongoing for compensation for workers who will be mobilized by the responsible public companies, SNCF (state) and RATP (regional).

“If it goes wrong [durante los Juegos Olímpicos]the image of France will be damaged,” warned Jean Castex, former French prime minister and current leader of the RATP.

The fears of the authorities are fueled by the threats of strikes made by some unions.

Regarding the Parisian airports, Roissy and Orly, which will be the two main entry gates to France for foreign delegations, those responsible for them are preparing to welcome more than 60,000 accredited people from July 18, the date of the official opening of the Olympic Village.

Paris begins to transform

The capital begins to have an Olympic atmosphere. The first Olympic facilities in the Place de la Concorde or the Champ de Mars begin to appear in the city's urban landscape, which makes the engines start to warm up.

The inaugurations of facilities have been chained between February and April, with the handing over of the keys to the Olympic Village, the Media Village, the Marseille Marina and the Saint-Denis Aquatic Center.

Since February 29, the organizers have been preparing the 3,000 apartments of the Olympic Village, which are ready to receive 14,500 people, including athletes and members of the delegations.

The Russian threat is still present

Although the issue of the participation of Russian athletes remains subject to the current situation, they are still authorized to participate under a neutral flag and under strict conditions.

They will not be present at the opening ceremony. Belarusians are also banned from the parade along the Seine.

Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo said on a recent trip to kyiv that Russians “are not welcome” in her city.

According to Macron, Russia could try to disrupt the development of the Olympic Games in Paris, an accusation rejected by Moscow. Cybersecurity is another of the authorities' biggest concerns.