In 500 days, on a Tuesday in July 2024, the Summer Olympics will burst into life in Paris, with teams floating down the River Seine on barges for a unique opening ceremony. The Paris Olympics and Paralympics carry great significance: they mark the return of full crowds to the world’s premier sporting event after the Covid‑impacted Tokyo Games in 2021 and the Beijing Winter Olympics last year. At the same time, spending on the Games is under unprecedented scrutiny, especially because many venues are located in Seine‑Saint‑Denis, France’s poorest region. The buildup is further complicated by the war in Ukraine and its impact on athletes from Ukraine, Russia, and Belarus.
A key unresolved issue is whether Russian athletes will compete. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has suggested it wants to create a “pathway” for Russian and Belarusian athletes to participate as neutrals, and the International Fencing Federation moved a step closer on Friday by reopening its events to Russians. Ukraine has reacted with fury, arguing its athletes should not have to face their aggressors while the country endures aerial bombings and tank shelling, and has threatened to boycott the Games. IOC President Thomas Bach has delegated the decision to individual sport federations, such as fencing. Thirty countries, including the United States, have asked the IOC for clarification on how Russian athletes could train and compete.
The opening ceremony’s plan also raises concerns. Instead of a traditional stadium, the ceremony will be staged on the Seine, framed by the Eiffel Tower and other monuments. This ambitious setting presents an organisational headache and has alarmed security services. The original design allowed up to 600,000 spectators along the riverbanks, but political sources suggest the number may be reduced. Private security firms are struggling to recruit enough staff, prompting questions about whether the army will be called in, as it was for the 2012 London Olympics. Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin says it is “too early to say,” while Étienne Thobois, director‑general of the 2024 organising committee, notes that “all scenarios are on the table.”
Transport is another major challenge. Paris’s system has recently suffered staff shortages and sporadic strikes, and it must now move millions of people during the Games. Led by former prime minister Jean Castex, network operator RATP faces intense pressure. Doubts remain about whether the extension of a key metro line to the Athletes’ Village will be completed, and a significant shortfall of bus drivers adds to the concerns. Paris’s airports, still recovering from the Covid pandemic, are racing to reach full capacity in time for the influx of competitors and spectators.
Ticket policy has also drawn criticism. The first sales phase was condemned as too expensive, and many felt forced to purchase tickets for minor sports in order to see popular events such as athletics and gymnastics. Organisers argue the prices match those of the London Olympics. Chief organiser Tony Estanguet called the first stage a success, “even if we understand the criticism and the frustration of some people who were not satisfied.”
Finally, the budget is under close examination. The organising committee’s budget, 96 % of which comes from private funding, rose 10 % to €4.4 billion ($4.7 billion) last year. Adding another €4.4 billion for Solideo, the body responsible for building facilities, brings the total to €8.8 billion. Local politicians in the deprived Seine‑Saint‑Denis area are monitoring the expenditure especially closely. “When the Olympic flame is extinguished, residents here won’t be asking (Paris Mayor) Anne Hidalgo, (President) Emmanuel Macron or Tony Estanguet for accountability; they’ll be asking me,” said the area’s head, Stéphane Troussel.
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