2024-04-17 03:00:23
The Minister of Sports and the Olympic and Paralympic Games, Amélie Oudéa-Castéra, during an interview, in Paris, April 4, 2024. TERENCE BIKOUMOU FOR “LE MONDE”
Wednesday April 17 marks the entry into the last hundred days leading to the opening of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games (OG). “We are well into our transition times”, declared, in an interview with Mondethe Minister of Sports and the Olympic and Paralympic Games, Amélie Oudéa-Castéra, ensuring that Paris 2024 will deliver on security, transport, and even the “swimability” of the Seine.
President Macron has toughened his tone towards Russia. Could France adopt a firmer position on the presence of Russian athletes at the Olympic Games?
Above all, the president diagnosed increased aggressiveness in Russia’s attitude towards us. This does not call into question France’s alignment with the rule laid down by the International Olympic Committee. [CIO] and the International Paralympic Committee, which consists of saying that Russian and Belarusian athletes, as long as they have qualified and respect the neutrality regime, are admitted to participate in competitions.
The mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, declared that Russian and Belarusian athletes were not welcome…
On these subjects, the one who commits France to speaking is the head of state. He did this with great clarity by saying that those athletes who respect the rules set by the IOC will be admitted to compete in France.
What do you say to those who ask that the principle of neutrality apply to Israeli athletes?
The two situations have nothing to do with each other: we cannot compare the situation of Israel, victim of an exceptionally serious terrorist attack, with Russia which is unilaterally waging a war of aggression against a sovereign country. The Palestinian and Israeli national Olympic committees have also not requested the exclusion of each other.
Read the interview | Article reserved for our subscribers Thomas Bach, President of the IOC: “The aggressiveness of the Russian government is growing day by day, against the Committee, against the Games, against me”
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Safety is a concern. Is the risk of attack the main threat?
The terrorist threat, particularly of Islamist origin, is being followed very closely without there being anything specific today directed against the Games. Among the threats, there is also radical activism – environmentalist, ultra-left and ultra-right – or even cyberattacks, to which we are particularly attentive. Finally, there is a more classic component, that of delinquency. Faced with these threats, we have a very complete organization.
The final of the Champions League football at the Stade de France in May 2022 was marked by acts of delinquency. Can you assure that this will not happen again?
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