New Delhi: This will be the first time that an opening ceremony for the world’s biggest event will take place outside the stadium. Instead of the traditional parade inside the stadium, 8000 of the world’s top athletes will be transported by boat along 6 km of the River Seine.
It is announced that this will be the biggest open-air show on earth and the whole city centre and its airspace will be shut down. More than 300,000 people will watch the ceremony from bridges and riverbanks.
Cleaning up the River Seine has been the biggest task for the organisers and authorities ahead of the opening ceremony. Since 1923, swimming and diving in the River Seine has been banned because of the health risks due to bacteria and dirty water.
How much does it cost to clean up the River Seine?
Ahead of the Olympics 2024 opening ceremony, a 1.4 billion euros project backed by the state was used to clean the river which included sewage management, treatment plants, filtering stations and rain basins to reduce bacterial contamination of the river.
After the Olympics, the authorities and government are planning to create local beaches and bathing areas on the river, which will be open to the public from 2025.
Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo on Wednesday jumped into the river to prove that it is clean enough for open-water swimming events which are scheduled to start on July 26.
According to officials, the water quality of the River Seine is scheduled to be tested twice daily during the games. Both triathlon and marathon swimming events have contingency days scheduled within the calendar and any decision to postpone an event will be taken together by the Paris 2024 teams and the International Federation in coordination with the International Olympic Committee.
Know how much billions Paris spent to clean the River Seine which is the venue for the opening ceremony of the Olympics 2024. Other Sports Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
