Preparations for the upcoming Paris Olympics gained momentum on Saturday, as security teams meticulously inspected the Seine riverbanks in anticipation of the opening ceremony scheduled for Friday. Additionally, high-ranking officials from the International Olympic Committee convened in the French capital for crucial discussions.

Law enforcement officers, accompanied by canine units, conducted a thorough inspection of the designated six-kilometer (four-mile) route along the Seine River in preparation for the upcoming ceremony. This significant event is expected to feature approximately 6,000 to 7,000 athletes, who will embark on nearly one hundred barges and riverboats, while an audience of approximately 300,000 spectators is anticipated.

The French law enforcement agency will receive additional support from international law enforcement colleagues, including those from Spain, the United Kingdom, and Qatar.

On Saturday morning, a practice run for the event was conducted on the river, with security barriers and law enforcement ensuring privacy from both residents and the press.

The significance of the aquatic procession is immense; marking the inaugural occurrence of the Summer Games' opening ceremony outside of a traditional venue.

The arrangements for the event have resulted in significant inconvenience for central Paris inhabitants, who are required to possess a pass containing a unique QR code in order to traverse the Seine.

“We’ve had far fewer customers than usual for the last two weeks. There aren’t many tourists and lots of Parisians have left town. All our local clientele has gone,” said Behi Samadian, 69, in a boutique in Saint-Germain-des-Pres.

Team delegations have commenced their check-in process at the athletes’ village, albeit with certain delays experienced due to the global IT outage that transpired on Friday.

“Like a lot of organisations, we suffered this global Microsoft outage,” Games chief organiser Tony Estanguet told reporters on Friday.

“All of our servers were affected this morning.”

Nevertheless, the accreditation systems were operational once more come Friday evening. On a positive note for the organizers, the ticketing systems remained unaffected.

Organizers have reported that 8.7 million tickets have been sold thus far, surpassing the record set during the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, and this number is expected to increase as tickets are still available for purchase for some of the 45 sports.

Several athletes, such as American sprinter Noah Lyles, who are anticipated to be prominent figures at the Games, will participate in their last competition before the Olympics at the Diamond League event in London this Saturday.

Friction over 2030 Olympics

The IOC’s top brass, led by President Thomas Bach, will meet on Saturday to prepare for the larger IOC Session later this week.

Behind the scenes, the allocation of the 2030 Winter Olympics to the French Alps—they are the only candidates—risks being delayed by a row over the French government’s reluctance to give funding guarantees.

Russia's absence will be notable at the Paris Games, as only 15 Russians and 16 Belarusians have been accredited. The majority of sports have distanced themselves from the Russians following the invasion of Ukraine.

The athletes eligible to participate in the Games had to adhere to stringent neutrality requirements. However, Global Rights Compliance, a human rights organization based in The Hague, revealed that a majority of the Russian participants either openly supported Moscow's invasion of Ukraine or had ties to the military.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC)  stated to AFP that it would refrain from discussing specific instances on Friday.