“The Games will bring in much more to the nation than they will have cost it” | EUROtoday

Wednesday April 17 marks the entry into the final hundred days resulting in the opening of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games (OG). “We are well into our transition times”, declared, in an interview with Worldthe Minister of Sports and the Olympic and Paralympic Games, Amélie Oudéa-Castéra, making certain that Paris 2024 will ship on safety, transport, and even the “swimability” of the Seine.

President Macron has toughened his tone in direction of Russia. Could France undertake a firmer place on the presence of Russian athletes on the Olympic Games?

Above all, the president recognized elevated aggressiveness in Russia's perspective in direction of us. This doesn’t name into query France's alignment with the rule laid down by the International Olympic Committee. [CIO] and the International Paralympic Committee, which consists of claiming that Russian and Belarusian athletes, so long as they’ve certified and respect the neutrality regime, are admitted to take part in competitions.

The mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, declared that Russian and Belarusian athletes weren’t welcome…

On these topics, the one who commits France to talking is the top of state. He did this with nice readability by saying that these athletes who respect the foundations set by the IOC will likely be admitted to compete in France.

What do you say to those that ask that the precept of neutrality apply to Israeli athletes?

The two conditions don’t have anything to do with one another: we can’t evaluate the scenario of Israel, sufferer of an exceptionally severe terrorist assault, with Russia which is unilaterally waging a warfare of aggression in opposition to a sovereign nation. The Palestinian and Israeli nationwide Olympic committees have additionally not requested the exclusion of one another.

Safety is a priority. Is the chance of assault the principle menace?

The terrorist menace, notably of Islamist origin, is being adopted very carefully with out there being something particular at this time directed in opposition to the Games. Among the threats, there’s additionally radical activism – environmentalist, ultra-left and ultra-right – and even cyberattacks, to which we’re notably attentive. Finally, there’s a extra traditional part, that of delinquency. Faced with these threats, we’ve got a really full group.

The closing of the Football Champions League on the Stade de France in May 2022 was marked by acts of delinquency. Can you guarantee that this won’t occur once more?

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