Thomas Bach, on the opening ceremony: “The decision is clear, it will be in the Seine”

The president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Thomas Bach, confirmed that the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games will take place on July 26 on the Seine River.

In this way, the German leader confirmed that the original idea is maintained in the midst of concern about possible terrorist threats, which led the President of France, Emmanuel Macron, to mention other alternatives in case the parade of delegations cannot take place as planned: to restrict the ceremony to the Trocadero Square in Paris in front of the Eiffel Tower” or to transfer it to the Stade de France.

“The decision is clear: it will be in the Seine,” Bach said in an interview with ‘El Món at RAC1′ and acknowledged that the French authorities “are taking into account all the scenarios and are updating them every day.”

“Unfortunately, we are at a time when any major event must take into account the security issues in the area. The French authorities have been doing this for a long time and we receive reports on the preparations, so we have great confidence in them and in having a unique experience,” Bach explained.

One of the last security measures taken was the extension of the “anti-terrorist perimeter”, which will also include buildings overlooking the Seine River. Neighbors who invite friends to their balcony on the day of the ceremony must be registered on a digital platform. Authorities expect more than 200,000 people to attend the ceremony.

In the interview with ‘El Món a RAC1′, Bach was also asked if there will be an Olympic truce in the wars in Ukraine and Gaza during the Olympic Games: “This resolution is from the United Nations, but we are trying to unite the world in a peaceful competition to show that peace is possible despite all these conflicts”.