The president of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games has suddenly cancelled the press conference about the ceremony, which took place less than 20 minutes before the start.
The Games officially begin tonight after the opening ceremony in the French capital. It is the first time in the event’s history that the event will not be held in a stadium.
Instead, the event will take place outside a closed stadium, with Paris hosting an unprecedented water parade in honour of the Olympic Games.
The open-air spectacle takes place over a 6km stretch of the Seine and sees a total of 160 boats, each with 94 athletes, take part on the iconic river.
However, there are concerns about the event as heavy rain fell in Paris this morning, which could cause problems on the river by the time the ceremony starts tonight.
The president of the Paris Olympics has cancelled a press conference about the opening ceremony, less than 20 minutes before the start
For the first time, the opening ceremony will take place outside a closed stadium, instead of an unprecedented water parade for the Olympic Games
The open-air spectacle will take place on Friday along a 6km stretch of the Seine
Mail Sport has learned that while there was no explanation given for the cancellation of the press conference, two technical directors have been removed to work on the details.
However, this move is the latest in a series of controversies surrounding the Games.
Dutch volleyball player Steven van de Velde was sentenced to four years in prison after he flew from the Netherlands to the UK in August 2014 to meet the schoolgirl after the two started chatting on Facebook.
The athlete, who was 19 and knew how young the girl was at the time, was sentenced to four years in prison in March 2016 after admitting three charges of rape. He was released in 2017 after serving just a year of his sentence.
But despite the judge at the time telling Van de Velde that his promising career was a ‘shattered dream’, the volleyball player will return to the Olympic Games in Paris.
Elsewhere, International Jewish Federation President Marius Vizer is furious about the alleged state of the site.
The floating ships sail from east to west on the River Seine, passing some of Paris’ iconic sights.
There have been a number of concerns leading up to the Games, including the participation of child abuser Steven van de Velde
Meanwhile, the president of the International Judo Federation has criticised the venue where his sporting event will take place.
Judo, which starts on Saturday at the Champ-de-Mars Arena, is one of France’s biggest promises at the Games, as the country is the second most successful country of all time in this discipline.
However, Vizer criticised the cleanliness of the venue, claiming there were problems with the mats.
The organizers were confident that the Arena would be ready for the competition by Saturday.
During the parade, more than 3,000 artists will be present at the ceremony, while the delegations and passengers will be on stage.
The parade ends in front of the Trocadero, where the remaining performances and parts of the Olympic protocol will take place.
Although the floating parade was originally intended as a popular festival along the riverbanks, the French police have intervened and most spectators are assigned to a specific area for security reasons or are given seats in fenced-off areas for the ceremony.
Each country will debut its athletes, with one of the most recognizable names holding the national or regional flag at the start of the ceremony.
More rain is expected in Paris throughout the day, but organizers hope it stays away
Greece traditionally debuts first, as a nod to the place where the Olympic Games originated, with the host country performing last.
The Olympic anthem is then sung after the head of state of the host country announces the start of the Games.
The iconic Olympic flame is then brought forward for the lighting of the main torch, the highlight of the opening ceremony and the release of the doves, which symbolize peace among all nations.
More rain is expected in Paris later today, but organizers hope it will continue to rain until after the ceremony.
