“We will be ready. As a team we work very hard to be ready. The Games are in a little less than seven months, and we will be ready on all dimensions of the organization,” said Amélie Oudéa-Castéra, the Minister of Sports and the Olympic Games on BFM TV.
Before returning in an interview with Le Parisien on the details of the organization and in particular the opening ceremony on the Seine, July 26: “We know that it is a ceremony which also presents a lot of challenges, but we are today today in a preparation that is up to these challenges, under the leadership of the Minister of the Interior, the police prefect, the regional prefect, in constant contact with the organizing committee and the City of Paris. All risks are identified and monitored very closely.” And to affirm: “I say this very clearly. We have a project which is this ceremony on the Seine, it is the central symbol of our ambition for iconic Games. The parade of athletes, the spectacle surrounding it, is the heart of the project today. In this context, there are adjustment variables on which we can play – the gauge, the nature and the volume of the festivities which will be authorized around the Seine, the artistic modulations around the parade and the show, the management and anticipation of security perimeters – in order to ensure an optimal level of security for athletes and spectators. And if there were to be an extreme scenario, such as repeated terrorist attacks in the preceding weeks, then of course we must be capable of alternatives.”
The Minister of Sports and the Olympic Games then spoke of the sporting challenge that awaits the French team. Essential element for the success of the Olympics: “I would like us to say that we did it and that it was great. I would like us to keep in mind images of jubilation and “Marseillaise” that will burst our eardrums. I like to talk about these medal goals, it’s part of the equation. For the Games to be popular, we must have successful athletes. The most concrete thing is to say to ourselves that we want to be among the five nations with the most medals in the world, over time. It’s within our reach from Paris for the Olympics, more difficult for the Paralympics.”
Regarding the enthusiasm, Amélie Oudéa-Castéra highlighted: “When we look at the studies, we see that support for the Games is exceptionally high. The image is positive among 70% of the population. That doesn’t mean that there aren’t concerns, expectations, legitimate questions about the impact on the daily lives of the French, but they want the Games. 80% of them expect festive Games, and more than 70% believe that they will be positive for France’s image internationally.
