The Paris Olympics appear set for a soggy start with the French weather service predicting ‘flooding rains’ on Friday evening. Despite the ominous forecast from Meteo-France the opening ceremony is still on track to unroll along the River Seine from 11:00 pm IST. Skies were already gray with intermittent drizzle on Friday afternoon as celebrities posed under umbrellas and the rain-drenched viewing gallery began to fill.
Around 6,800 athletes are set to parade on more than 90 boats along the river on nearly a 100 boats as thousands line the six kilometer-long route. Dancers will also perform on the city's rooftops — in what organisers said would be a “total show”.
Hundreds of thousands of people, including 320,000 paying and invited ticket-holders, are expected to line the Seine’s banks as athletes are paraded along the river on boats.
Some 45,000 police and thousands of soldiers have been deployed in a huge security operation in Paris for the opening show. Police imposed a security zone along the river, erecting metal barriers to fence off neighbourhoods and requiring authorisation - passes with QR codes - to enter.
"We'll see tonight... but the closer it gets the more the models suggest we're likely to get rain," chief Games organiser Tony Estanguet told France Inter radio, while adding that there would be some modifications to the show if it was wet.
"It's going to be a beautiful moment, it's going to be a great party," he added.
The developments come mere hours after a sabotage attack on the high-speed TGV rail network caused travel chaos across France — with tens of thousands of passengers stuck while trying to visit Paris for the Games or vacations. Around 800,000 passengers are expected to be affected over the weekend as the damage is heavy and labour-intensive to repair.
Outgoing Prime Minister Gabriel Attal said the saboteurs had targeted the three main routes to the capital city with a clear objective to “blocking the high speed train network”. The top official also told reporters that there would be “huge and serious consequences for the rail network”.
(With inputs from agencies)
