On Tuesday, a senior official of the Olympic Games of Paris 2024 did not rule out moving the venue of the July 26 Olympic Opening Ceremony away from the Seine River.

“My job is to worry, so I will be 99.9% sure that something like this will happen,” Olympic Organizing Committee CEO Etienne Tombois said in response to a question from Politico during a visit to the site of the Invalides in the center of Paris, where the Olympic archery competitions will be held.

It is recalled that in April the French president Emmanuel Macron confirmed that Paris had contingency plans “in the works” for the opening ceremony due to the increased threat of Islamist terror attacks. France, in fact, raised its terror alert to the highest level in March after the shootings at the Concert Hall in Moscow, where Tajik militants killed nearly 140 people.

There are strong concerns that the current plan to float athletes down the Seine in boats poses significantly greater safety risks than hosting the ceremony inside a stadium.

“We have alternative scenarios,” Macron said, presenting two options: Either a ceremony “limited” to the Trocadero area of ​​the Eiffel Tower, or moving the event to France’s largest sports venue, the Stade. de France, near the newly built Olympic Village.

As the organizing authority has decided, 104,000 spectators are expected to enjoy the celebration on the banks of the Seine, while another 222,000 are expected to watch from bridges and roads.