“We are there on infrastructure and transport plans,” says Sports Minister Amélie Oudéa-Castéra

Amélie Oudéa-Castéra, Minister of Sports and the Olympic and Paralympic Games of France was the guest of “8:30 am franceinfo” on Wednesday April 17, 2024

“There is no threat specifically aimed at the Games, no anticipated terrorist threat on our soil”, said Sports Minister Amélie Oudéa-Castéra on Wednesday April 17, 100 days before the opening of the Olympic Games in Paris. For the opening ceremony, on July 26, “our central plan remains the Seine”assures the minister.

Emmanuel Macron said on Monday that there were “plans B”, “even plans C” for the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games. In the event of a terrorist threat, the opening ceremony would be “limited to Trocadéro”, or even at the Stade de France, he first explained. One of his advisors finally clarified that it was a hypothesis “uneducated” For now. But Amélie Oudéa-Castéra maintains that there is “a gradation in the threat”. “If on D-3, there were to be an absolute catastrophe, we must imagine that there would be a ceremony more of a protocol nature”she adds, specifying that, in this case, “different locations are possible and the Stade de France can be one of them.”

Securing the Olympic flame route

Concerning the journey of the Olympic flame through France, “there really is a system for securing this relay which is very advanced”, supports Amélie Oudéa-Castéra. The minister mentions “a security bubble around the flame bearer(s)” with “18 police officers or gendarmes who will be in civilian clothes to surround the bearer of the flame” as well as“a convoy of approximately 115 internal security forces, then units of mobile forces at the front, at the rear”. “There will even be GIGN teams who will be positioned if necessary,” she specifies. Of the “alternative routes” were also prepared.

🔴Olympic medals ➡️ “The President of the Republic, he has won, wants gold medals, he wants titles. The overall volume of medals is basically not that interesting” , reports Amélie Oudéa-Castera. pic.twitter.com/EySspUChR2

— franceinfo (@franceinfo) April 17, 2024

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