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[Global Times correspondent to France Zhang Zhen, Chen Xin and Dong Ming] Billions of eyes around the world are focused on the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics at 19:30 local time on July 26. More than 300,000 spectators and important figures are expected to attend the ceremony. The Australian Broadcasting Corporation said, "The opening ceremony embodies the amazing feat of human ambition, unfettered creativity and careful preparation. However, until the last day before the curtain opened, people still doubted whether it could or should continue. This is the riskiest opening ceremony in the history of the Olympics. Despite the large-scale security operation, no one can predict with complete confidence that the opening ceremony will go smoothly. But if everything goes according to plan, it will be a night that Paris will never forget." The International Olympic Committee estimates that about 1.5 billion people around the world will watch the broadcast of the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics on the 26th. The British "Economist" said that if the real number is close to this estimate, it will be comparable to the 2022 World Cup final and become the most watched sports broadcast in history. Turkey's Anadolu Agency said that as one of the world's largest sporting events, the 2024 Paris Olympics is expected to greatly promote France's economic development. However, just one day before the opening ceremony, the French high-speed rail network was attacked by "malicious behavior." International Olympic Committee President Bach expressed his "full confidence in the French government."

The opening ceremony of the 33rd Summer Olympic Games was held in Paris, France on the 26th local time. The picture shows spectators and volunteers waving the Chinese national flag during ticket checking. Photo by Li Hao

Archery competition in front of the Invalides

The Olympics will open on July 26 and close on August 11. It is expected that about 10,500 athletes from 206 national and regional Olympic committees and refugee delegations will participate. The Paris Olympics is the 11th time that the Chinese sports delegation has participated in the Summer Olympics. 405 Chinese athletes will participate in 30 major events, 42 sub-events and 236 minor events. This is also the Olympics with the largest number of minor events participated by the Chinese sports delegation abroad.

According to AFP, as many as 7,500 athletes boarded 85 cruise ships and traveled 6 kilometers on the Seine River on the evening of the 26th local time. They set out from the Austerlitz Bridge in Paris, and along the way they admired many landmark buildings such as Notre Dame de Paris, the Louvre, and the Grand Palais, and finally arrived at the Trocadero Square, the venue for the opening ceremony celebration on the other side of the Eiffel Tower. "We will use all the historical sites along the Seine River, and there will be no riverbank or bridge that is not filled with music, dance or performances," said Maud Lepradec, the dance director of the opening ceremony.

This will be the first time that the opening ceremony of the Summer Olympics will be held outside the main stadium. Agence France-Presse said that this decision is fraught with danger as France is on the highest alert for terrorist attacks. A spokesman for the French Ministry of the Interior previously told CNN that France plans to deploy about 35,000 police officers every day during the Olympics, and the number will reach 45,000 during the opening ceremony. In addition, Paris will deploy 10,000 soldiers, and 1,800 police officers from Britain, Germany and other countries will also provide support.

According to the BBC, the Paris Olympic Committee has pledged to make this Olympics the most environmentally friendly Olympics in history. The report said that only two venues for this Olympics are specially built: an aquatics center and a venue for badminton and rhythmic gymnastics. Other iconic venues, such as the Stade de France and Roland Garros, the venue for the French Open tennis tournament, will host corresponding events.

In addition, this Olympics makes full use of Paris' famous attractions. For example, a temporary stadium under the Eiffel Tower will host beach volleyball games; at the Palace of Versailles in the suburbs of Paris, equestrian andModern PentathlonThe competition will be held there; Les Invalides, the French military museum and the site of Napoleon's tomb, will host archery competitions this time...

The Seine will hostTriathlonThe BBC said that one of the biggest concerns during the preparations for the Games was the water quality of the Seine River. However, in July, French Minister of Sports, Olympics and Paralympics Amelie Oudea-Castellas and Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo went swimming in the river to prove that the water was "fine".

The Associated Press said the farthest venue is in Tahiti, a French overseas territory on the other side of the world.surfAthletes will compete on the huge waves there, but unfortunately, they will miss the grand opening ceremony.

The day before the opening, the rail network was attacked

"The attack took place despite a massive security operation for the Olympics." Reuters said the saboteurs' attacks on France's high-speed rail network exposed security risks.

According to AFP on the 26th, the French National Railway Company (SNCF) said a few hours before the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics that the French high-speed rail network was attacked by "malicious acts" including arson. SNCF said in a statement: "Last night, SNCF suffered multiple acts of vandalism on the high-speed rail lines to the Atlantic, North and East." SNCF said that many trains will have to be diverted or cancelled, and this situation will continue until the weekend until the maintenance is completed. SNCF urged people to postpone their trips and not go to the train station. According to SNCF CEO Jean-Pierre Farandou, the number of affected passengers will reach 800,000.

Patrice Veglet, France's ministerial representative for transport, condemned the attack, calling it "an outrageous criminal act". "It's really shocking," Amelie Oudea-Castellat told France Business FM, "Targeting the Olympics is targeting France." She also said the government is working to "assess the impact on travelers, athletes, and ensure that all delegations can arrive smoothly at the Olympic venues." "Our intelligence and law enforcement agencies have been mobilized to find and punish the perpetrators of these crimes," French Prime Minister Attal posted on the social platform X, saying that the attacks were "premeditated and organized acts of sabotage."

British Prime Minister Starmer had to fly instead to attend the opening ceremony because the Eurostar train from London to Paris was suspended due to the attack on the French rail network, Downing Street said.

A Global Times reporter learned on the 26th that not all train stations in Paris were paralyzed, and a reporter originally planned to take a train from Austerlitz Station to Chateauroux, France. Since the train was heading south, and the attack affected trains in the east, west and north directions, trains heading south were able to enter and exit the station as usual.

CNN said it was not clear what caused the chaos. But unrest in France has been growing, partly due to the fight between the left and the far right in the recent National Assembly elections. French Interior Minister Darmanin confirmed that a member of the far right was detained this week and he was "suspected of committing violent acts during the Olympics." The man is said to have intended to disrupt the Olympic torch relay.

“44% of people are interested in the Olympics”

"Everything is ready," French President Emmanuel Macron said in a video posted on social media platform X on the 24th. "Even the (Olympic) five rings are there." "Enjoy the game!"

"Macron hopes to use the Paris Olympics to get rid of his political troubles and regain his reputation." The Associated Press said on the 25th that after the National Assembly election, the French president's influence in the country is weaker than ever before, and Macron hopes that the Paris Olympics can help him shine again. But some political opponents criticized Macron's focus on the Olympics, believing that it was an attempt to divert voters' attention and seek benefits for himself. Laurent Favre, CEO of French auto parts supplier OPmobility, told Reuters that manufacturers like stability, "It is never a good thing when we change policies every three minutes."

"The strict security measures have caused dissatisfaction among Parisians." Reuters reported that the police set up a security zone along the Seine River before the opening ceremony, erected metal fences to separate the residential area, and required authorization to enter. Due to these restrictions, the cafes along the river, which were bustling in summer in previous years, became very quiet this year. It is reported that the obstacles will be removed after the opening ceremony.

"Since the event has not officially started yet, this may just be the pre-race calm." NBC reported on the 25th that a few streets away from the Seine, the Champs Elysees was still bustling. Bicycles "bumped forward" on the cobblestones, cigarette smoke drifted from the cafe terrace, and people dressed fashionably were busy with their own things. Pamela Karam, a 33-year-old graphic designer, said that in the past few years, roads in the center of Paris have been closed to cars and converted into bicycle lanes. The Olympics promised to go a step further and make the Seine swimmable for the first time in 100 years. "It would be a great thing to be able to swim in the Seine," she said.

In fact, many French people are enthusiastic about the Olympics held in their home country. A survey report released by Paris-based Ipsos on the 24th showed that although only 44% of French people are interested in the Olympics, this is an increase from 32% in 2021.