PARIS 2024 chiefs have outlined two unprecedented changes to the opening ceremony.
The Olympics officially get underway in the French capital on Friday.
Organisers have decided to make history in order to put on a spectacular show.
For the first time ever, the ceremony will not take place inside the stadium.
It will run along the iconic river Seine – allowing more fans to catch a glimpse of the festivities.
In another first, the parade of athletes will be at the start of the ceremony.
Some 10,500 Olympians will head down the Seine in boats.
A Paris 2024 statement said: “Paris 2024 is breaking new ground by bringing sports into the city and the same will be true of the opening ceremony, set to be held in the heart of the city along its main artery: the Seine.
“Taking on a new guise, the parade of athletes will be held on the Seine with boats for each national delegation. These boats will be equipped with cameras to allow television and online viewers to see the athletes up close.
“Winding their way from east to west, the 10,500 athletes will cross through the centre of Paris, the overall playing field for the Games on which these competitors will display their sporting prowess over the next 16 days.
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“The parade will come to the end of its 6-kilometre route in front of the Trocadero, where the remaining elements of Olympic protocol and final shows will take place.
“Eighty giant screens and strategically placed speakers will allow everyone to enjoy the magical atmosphere of this show reverberating throughout the French capital.
“The opening ceremony for the Olympic Games Paris 2024 will be the largest in Games history. It will be open to all: residents from Paris and its region, as well as visitors from all over France and around the world.
“By opening with the parade of athletes, Paris 2024 is breaking with tradition.
“Athletes will be featured on stage during the introduction to and throughout the ceremony as part of Paris 2024’s constant aim to hold Games created for and by athletes.”
In a blow to organizers, the ceremony is reportedly struggling to sell out, as well as the showpiece Olympic event.
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It is the third time that Paris will host the Summer Games, with the most recent edition coming exactly a century before – but it seems that excitement levels may be on the wane.
That is because “hundreds of thousands of tickets” remain unsold with just days left before it starts.
The Times state that between 500,000 and 600,000 tickets remain unsold.
And, as of yesterday, they included both the men’s and women’s 100m finals.
Both of these two events are traditionally the hottest tickets at the Olympics and are sold out well in advance.
Tickets priced at £249 and £825 are still available for the Sunday, August 4 session.
And some for as low as £164 for the Saturday, August 3 evening session, which includes the women’s 100m final, are also still for sale.
Nearly 15,000 residents – around 10,500 of which are athletes – will be cramming into the Olympic village between July 26 and August 11.
To ensure the athletes feel at home, a number of provisions have been made by organisers.
One of these is the stocking of some 300,000 condoms, in theory enough for around two every day during the run of the Games.
A number of Olympic athletes have opened the door on their steamy lives behind-the-scenes when in camp, including huge sex orgies and parties.
London 2012 had claimed the title of “the raunchiest Games ever”, but the 150,000 condoms ordered paled in comparison to the 450,000 ordered for the Rio Games four years later.
Condoms have been laid on by organisers at every game since Seoul 1988, when it they were used to spread awareness of HIV and AIDS.
Even with an intimacy ban at Tokyo 2020 due to Covid-19, some 150,000 johnnies were handed out.
Read the full story here.
The water quality of the Seine has also been a hot topic of discussion.
In 1923, swimming in the river was outlawed by the French government for a century due to its poor water quality and health hazards.
Over £1.2billion has been spent since 2016 in an attempt to clean it according to Sports Pro Media.
Despite extensive efforts, including building a mega-basin designed to store waste and prevent the sewage system from spilling into the river, the results have fallen short of expectations, casting doubt and raising concerns about the safety of athletes and their health.
