100 days before the Paris Olympics, a look at the criticism and concern leveled at London, Rio and Tokyo
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Months go by, but the situation is hardly changing. “You can’t say there’s widespread enthusiasm” at the prospect of hosting the Olympic and Paralympic Games, a participant in the preparations for Paris 2024 summed up a few weeks ago.
At this stage, it’s mainly concerns that are being expressed. The international context is fueling fears about security. The state of transport in the Paris region raises questions about the ability to manage the influx of visitors this summer without turning into a nightmare for those who will be working during this period.
Without denying “a negative tone,” the Paris 2024 Games Organizing Committee and public authorities insist that this does not foreshadow what will happen in a few weeks’ time. “The focus on this type of event is in the final weeks,” they argued, in reference to previous editions of the Games, marked by controversy in the lead-up, but which saw public opinion swing once the event was underway.
Transport and safety at the heart of London’s concerns
Year after year, bad news seemed to pile up in the run-up to the 2012 London Games (July 27 to August 12). In 2007, the garishly colored Olympic Games (OG) logo caused consternation: “A good excuse to wear your sunglasses,” mocked The Times. What’s more, the organization’s budget exploded, reaching €12 billion, three times the initial amount.
The following year, the handover between Beijing and London turned into a farce: In the Chinese national stadium where the closing ceremony took place, Boris Johnson, then mayor of the British capital, appeared disheveled and out of his depth. In 2009, the financial crisis had shaken the London organization. The property developer who was to build the Olympic Village came close to bankruptcy, leading to the potential “nationalization” of the project.
As the event approached, pessimism prevailed. Concern, too. Especially regarding transport, considered to be the “weak link” in the organization. The organizers had prepared the public for the worst. A map of “hot spots” to be avoided had been published, with posters warning: “Expect longer travel times.”
The other major concern was security, the cost of which had doubled. The weeks leading up to the Olympics turned into a fiasco. G4S, the subcontracting company, proved unable to hire enough staff. Additional soldiers had to be mobilized as a matter of urgency. A total of 18,200 soldiers were deployed, 11,000 more than originally planned.
Residents of the area around the Olympic Village in East London were less than enthusiastic. “I don’t feel that these are ‘my’ Games,” grumbled Huw Chadbourn, a construction worker interviewed by The world. With a wry sense of humor, he joked: “It’s true, thanks to the Games, we’ve installed new designer street lamps. And I hear that the park that will be created around the stadiums after the Games will be very pretty. But if the goal was simply to make a park, maybe it could have been done cheaper.”
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