Paris Olympics: France snap election creating uncertainty, Seine still unswimmable, security in full swing – The Front Page

The Olympic rings are set up at Trocadero Plaza, which overlooks the Eiffel Tower in Paris. Photo / AP

The biggest sporting event of the year kicks off this month.

The 2024 Paris Olympics are only a few weeks away, and nearly 200 Kiwi athletes will head to the City of Love for their shot at Olympic glory.

But a snap election called by French President Emmanuel Macron ahead of the Games has created uncertainty and fears of unrest.

New York Times international correspondent Catherine Porter told The Front Page there is excitement in Paris, but also, trepidation.

“The President has called a snap election and that has kind of distracted everyone. They’re talking more about politics at this moment than they are about the Olympics.”

Porter said there has been talk about what might happen if Jordan Bardella, the leader of France’s far-right National Rally party, is named Prime Minister.

“His main platform is anti-immigration. He’s very suspicious and is very much anti-Islam in France and so what that will look like, to host an international event that is all about peace-building and bringing people together when you have a new Government that is run by a far-right Prime Minister – that’s a question that many people are asking,” she said.

France holds a parliamentary election on June 30 and July 7.

The Seine has been a point of contention in the preparations for the Olympics – which is set to begin on July 27 – as it’s meant to host some swimming events, and over €1 billion ($1.7b) has been spent to clean it up thus far.

“There will be two events like the 10km swim and part of the triathlon in the river, which runs right through the heart of the city,” Porter said.

Organisers have been unable to confirm whether the river is swimmable yet – with heavy rain and pollution hampering efforts.

River cruises on the Seine will be suspended a week before the Olympic opening ceremony. Photo / 123rf

Security has been a major concern ahead of the Olympic Games, with the city’s police chief citing worries about everything from Islamic terrorism to radical environmentalists.

Porter said the big focus is on the opening ceremony, which is scheduled to be the first one not held within the confines of a stadium.

“It is going to be held in the open on the Seine and will float athletes down on boats in a parade seven kilometres down the Seine – past things like the Notre Dame, the Louvre and all these famous ancient buildings that people know all around the world.

“And to secure 7km of the Seine on each side... you’re going to have hundreds of thousands of spectators.

“That has been the big question and the big concern for many because Paris is a city that also has had known terrorist attacks dating back to 2015 and much smaller ones that are more one-offs and lone wolves since.

“The plans to secure the opening ceremony are really robust. There will likely be a police officer every square metre,” she said, “There will be special ops on the top of every building.”

Parisians have already seen a heightened police presence in recent months, Porter said, with locals within the perimeter having to fill out paperwork to prove they live there.

“This whole area on both sides of the Seine will be in a red zone and if you want to come in and out, you will need a QR code that shows you’ve been checked. We’ve had to fill out quite a number of forms...”

The Olympics has encapsulated the city and spectators will be able to witness sporting moments engulfed in centuries of history and charm.

“Beach volleyball is basically in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower. If you’re going to be into break dancing that’s in the square right by the Tuileries Gardens where Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI had their head chopped off during the Revolution.”

Dame Lisa Carrington is as usual a strong contender to win Olympic gold. Photo / Photosport

Newstalk ZB’s Jason Pine told The Front Page the medallists at the last Olympics have to be in with a chance this year like our sevens teams.

“You look at our greatest-ever Olympian, in terms of medals collected: Dame Lisa Carrington already has six, including three golds in Tokyo, she’ll be there again, but up against another Kiwi who’s beaten her a couple of times recently in the K1 500, that’s Amy Fisher. So we could be looking at a gold-silver quinella here in the K1 500 in the canoeing,” Pine said.

“Then you look across the sports where I guess we’ve been dominant historically and they tend to be ones that involve a bit of water.

“So the rowers. our canoers, the sailors will obviously have something to say.

“Then into the pool as well, Lewis Clareburt and Erica Fairweather lead our charge in the swimming pool. And I really like the look of triathlete Hayden Wilde. He won a bronze in Tokyo.”

Listen to the full episode to hear more about how Paris is preparing for the Olympics, and what other Kiwi athletes have a shot at a medal.

The Front Page is a daily news podcast from the New Zealand Herald, available to listen to every weekday from 5am. The podcast is presented by Chelsea Daniels, an Auckland-based journalist with a background in world news and crime/justice reporting who joined NZME in 2016.

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