Opening ceremony on the Seine amidst security problems

The Summer Olympics in Paris will begin today with an opening ceremony along the River Seine, the first time the ceremony will not be held inside a stadium. This comes amid a series of “malicious” acts, including arson, targeting France's high-speed rail lines in what has been described as “coordinated sabotage” to disrupt journeys. The Parade of Nations will take place on the Seine itself, with boats carrying thousands of athletes through the center of Paris. Despite the reduction in capacity for security reasons, more than 320,000 spectators are expected to attend along the route.

Nearly 10,500 athletes from more than 200 National Olympic Committees and the IOC Refugee Olympic Team will take part in 329 events at the Games, which run until 11 August. The French Minister of Sports, Amélie Oudéa-Castera, condemned the attacks in “the strongest possible terms,” ​​and assured that the organizers of the Games will ensure the proper transportation of all delegations to the competition sites.

French Transport Minister Patrice Vergriete said all signs pointed to Friday's major train disruption being caused by “arson attacks”. An investigation is currently underway. The high-speed train service connecting the UK to France, Eurostar, has been forced to cancel and divert trains due to these incidents.

Following these disruptions, the Paris police are stepping up security measures. The mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, has been optimistic about the opening ceremony, despite concerns about weather conditions and the cleanliness of the Seine River, where the Olympic trials of triathlon and swimming are to be held open

The Paris 2024 Olympic committee canceled Friday morning's press conference on the Games' opening ceremony without giving a reason. However, it is clear that the day did not go as planned due to disruptions to the rail network and concerns about the weather affecting the ambitious plans for the ceremony. The spectacle is expected to be held on the River Seine, with 104,000 fans in the stands and a further 220,000 watching on elevated roads along a six-kilometre stretch of the river.