“In France, we are allowed to love, how we want and who we want, we are allowed to believe or not to believe … We have a lot of rights, and the idea was to showcase these values,” the ceremony’s artistic director said.
Nothing beats Paris scenery
In addition to Paris’ traditional sporting venues, the Games are making use of the city’s iconic landmarks for various events. A beach volleyball field has been set up beneath the Eiffel Tower, and a BMX park has been constructed near Place de la Concorde. The marathon will span from central Paris to the Château de Versailles, and fencing competitions are being held under the impressive glass roof of the Grand Palais.
The sun rises on the Place de la Concorde, where the first Paris 2024 gold medal of skateboarding will be won!
A magnificent view from the Hôtel de la Marine 🌇
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Un nouveau jour se lève sur la Place de la Concorde, où sera décrochée la première médaille d’or de ces Jeux en skate… pic.twitter.com/N4PmDC5NWM— Paris 2024 (@Paris2024) July 28, 2024
Playing beach volleyball with the Eiffel Tower in the background is SURREAL 🤯 😱
2024 Paris Olympics are different.
(📸: Aytac Unal/Anadolu) pic.twitter.com/FUa2DfUNPc
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) July 29, 2024
Logistics are actually quite smooth
In the lead-up to the opening ceremony, Parisians were dismayed by the 44,000 metal barriers which had been setup as part of a massive security apparatus to secure the event and feared a large scale commuting nightmare.
However, most restrictions have since been lifted, and public transportation is operating near normal, with only a few stops near Olympic venues closed. Affluence levels have so far been manageable, with very few overcrowded trains, and traffic interruptions have remained limited.
As was the case before the Games, security will likely remain the main focus for French authorities until the end of the event. There have so far been “no major or noteworthy incidents to report,” French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal said Wednesday, stressing that tens of thousands of security agents would remain mobilized until the Aug. 11 closing ceremony.