Olympics Fever Cranks Up As Paris Countdown Begins

(MENAFN- Kuwait News Agency (KUNA)) By Mohammad Al-Otaibi
PARIS, July 16 (KUNA) -- The countdown is officially underway for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, as the sprawling French capital prepares to play host to perhaps the largest gathering in sports, amid impenetrable security measures aiming to ensure the marquee event goes off without a hitch.
The French capital is no stranger to the Olympic Games, having hosted the 1900 and 1924 editions of the marquee event, ahead of this year's Olympic Games, according to a report by renowned research body The Center for Development Economics Studies, citing "immense" economic benefits triggered by the event.
This flow of revenue primarily comes from ticket sales and long-term investments in major infrastructure projects, all of which are collectively worth some USD 1.7 billion, ahead of what organizers say will be a lavish opening ceremony to usher in the sporting spectacle.
At the opening ceremony, nearly 100 boats carrying athletes will meander down a 6-kilometer (about 3.7 miles) stretch of the River Seine, which runs east to west through Paris and overlooks some of the city's famous bridges and renowned landmarks, which includes the Notre-Dame and the Louvre.
In an effort to ensure the preparedness of the facilities that will host the slew of events that comprise the Olympic Games, the French capital has seen major renovation works carried out across more than 30 facilities, chief among them the famous Stade de France, which is the national stadium of France, located just north of the French capital.
In addition to the Stade de France, the Olympic Village is another one of the notable facilities situated across the Saint-Ouen, Saint-Denis and L'Ile-Saint-Denis neighborhoods north of Paris'city center, which is the single largest construction project in France, at a staggering cumulative cost of USD 1.85 billion, with its most notable feature being a footbridge linking the accommodation's blocks together.
With Olympic fever running through Paris, the city's rail network system will be revised to allow some 370 extra trains in regions outside Paris in a bid to accommodate more than 9.7 million spectators and 10,000 athletes who will be commuting throughout France as the 2024 Paris Olympic Games unfolds.
Overseeing the management and coordination of all aspects related to the Olympic Games, the event's Executive Director Christophe Dubi expected major economic benefits that will come along with the Olympic Games, saying the aftermath of the event should continue to linger long after the Olympics are done and dusted.
Interspersed through the Olympic Games, French organizers plan to hold an array of activities and events aiming to shine light on French culture, which include musical shows and exhibitions that are expected to attract throngs of crowds, subsequently familiarizing attendees with French culture and tradition, he added.
As with any event of such magnitude, the prospect of terrorist attacks inevitably loom over the gathering, prompting French security forces to devise a foolproof plan that entails the deployment of an additional 40,000 personnel to various sites, subsequently ensuring the protection of athletes and spectators alike, he added.
Kuwait is among the participating nations at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, fielding some 10 athletes across various sports, with mere days remaining until the sporting extravaganza officially gets underway. (end)
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