Swede Gunilla Lindberg, who has been a member of the International Olympic Committee for many years, believes that the organizers should abandon the plan to hold this summer’s opening of the Olympics in Paris on boats on the river Seine.
– I would probably prefer it to be in a stadium, where it is easier to control entrances and exits, says Lindberg to Radiosporten.
French President Emmanuel Macron recently stated that the inauguration may be moved due to security threats.
– If we see that there are risks, depending on our analyses, we have other options. There is both a plan B and a plan C, Macron said.
Over 10,000 will go by boat along the river
The opening of the Olympics in Paris on July 26 is supposed to be the first to be held outside an arena. Around 10,500 active people will go by boat for 6 kilometers along the Seine.
– There are many people who shy away from that concept, both active and leaders, says Gunilla Lindberg.
An alternative is that the boat journey can be shortened and end at the Eiffel Tower. Another option seems to be to hold a more traditional inauguration at the football stadium Stade de France.
The organizer had intended that the boat journey could be followed by 600,000 spectators along the river, but earlier this year the number of spectators was reduced to 300,000 for safety reasons.
After the recent terrorist attack in Moscow, France has further tightened security around the Olympics, due to fears of new Islamist terrorist attacks.
