Macron visits Olympic village

Paris, Jul 23 (JIT) - With the phrase “we are and will be ready throughout the Games,” French President Emmanuel Macron summed up on Monday the readiness of this city to host the Olympic Games, with four days left before the official opening.

On a visit to the village where the participants have already begun to arrive, the French president could see firsthand how the movement increases as the “zero hour” approaches for the most important sporting event on the planet.

For the first time in the olympic event, the opening day will be held outside a stadium, a huge challenge for the organizers. On this issue Macron assured the control of every detail to ensure the success of the historic staging along the Seine River.

“We have been working for years on these Games and we are at the beginning of a decisive week that will see the opening ceremony on Friday,” he said as he toured an area where thousands of people from all corners of the world will gather over the next two weeks.

The issue of security remains the most sensitive and that is why the French president supervised together with the Minister of the Interior, Gérald Darmanin, matters related to that area.

During a brief tour of the areas near the river, JIT was able to observe the presence of a large police presence, strict control of access to certain areas, traffic control and inspections of some vehicles.

Security is becoming more extreme in the surroundings of the facilities that will host the competitions, including the Main Press Center (MPC), although with special emphasis on the surroundings of the Olympic Village, with traffic restrictions from almost one kilometer around its perimeter, according to sources consulted.

Only authorized vehicles can access the interior of the enclosure, where athletes, coaches and staff with other functions need special credentials to move in specific places.

Macron also shared this Monday with part of the accredited press for the event, including the president of the Association of Sports Journalists (AIPS), the Italian Gianni Merlo.

The AIPS celebrates this year the centenary of its foundation, precisely the last time that the City of Light had hosted a competition under the five rings.

“I hope they work in the best conditions. We did everything we could to ensure that the journalists were located close to the different events and also had the best facilities to work in. I have seen that. In Versailles, for example, the press room is also quite unique,” asserted Macron, who was accompanied on his tour by German Thomas Bach, head of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).