“Everyone is determined to organize this opening ceremony on the Seine“, he insisted, refraining from commenting on the “plans B and C” mentioned by the French president, i.e. a possible withdrawal to the Trocadéro or the Stade de France.
Last week, the president of the British Olympic Committee Andy Anson said he was “concerned” by the security issues surrounding this ceremony, organized in an unprecedented setting along the river, in the heart of the capital, despite the terrorist threat and the attack in a Moscow concert hall on March 22.
Thomas Bach was more broadly delighted at the return of the public after two Olympic editions overshadowed by the pandemic, behind closed doors at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics then without foreign spectators at the Beijing 2022 Olympics.
“This is extremely important, because the Olympic spirit lives when the whole world comes together and spectators can cheer on athletes from all over the world.“, he stressed.
If the approach of the Games continues to arouse skepticism and concerns in France, “it is not simply linked to the Olympics but it is part of our +Zeitgeist+ (the spirit of the times, editor's note), because we live in uncertain times“, judged Thomas Bach, saying “understand certain questions and criticisms“.
He also recalled that the “success“sportsman of the host country was”important” for the success of the Games, while France brought back 33 medals from the 2020 Olympics, a result below its ambitions.
“The enthusiasm of the host country is always linked, in one way or another, to the performance of the national team“, he estimated, without venturing to quantify the number of medals to be achieved.
