Only one day left before the big kick-off of the Paris Olympic Games! On Friday July 26, the Olympics will take place for two weeks in the French capital, with events throughout the day. And if some lucky people have obtained the precious ticket to access part of the competition, the others will be able to follow it on the small screen. France Télévisions and Eurosport have decided to devote almost their entire program schedule to the event in order to offer all the disciplines to viewers.
Comprehensive Coverage of the Paris Olympic Games
On France Télévisions, it will be impossible to miss the Games. From the opening ceremony, the broadcasts will be entirely or almost devoted to the Olympics. The day will start at 6:30 a.m. with a special edition on France 2 of “Télématin”, with Thomas Sotto and Louise Ekland, during the week, then Damien Thévenot and Maya Lauqué on the weekend, perched on a set installed at the Musée de l'Homme, at the Trocadéro. The events will take over until 11:15 p.m., simply interspersed with the 1 and 8 p.m. news. At 11:15 p.m., Léa Salamé and Laurent Luyat will occupy the place with “Quelles Jeux!”, a magazine covering the news of the day. To end with a night between rebroadcasts of the best moments and passages of non-broadcast events. However, there may be few new images, because France 3 is also fully mobilized, with team sports from 9 a.m. to 11:50 p.m. France 5 will also be involved, responsible for broadcasting events on Sunday morning, while Deux will offer religious broadcasts. To make things easier, Internet users will also be able to connect to Franceinfo, which will devote large sections to the Games, but also to a dedicated digital channel on France.tv, called Paris 2024. This will focus more on urban sports and sliding, like breakdancing, skateboarding or surfing. And to comment on everything, many personalities were asked, such as Tony Parker for basketball, Stéphane Diagana for athletics, Brahim Asloum for boxing, Laurent Jalabert for road cycling, Camille Lacourt and Laure Manaudou for swimming or again Justine Hénin for tennis.
On Eurosport, 3,800 hours of live sports will be available to subscribers. Eurosport 1 will cover big international stars while Eurosport 2 will focus on French champions. Additionally, a very high definition 4K channel and seven thematic channels will cater to various sports, including racket sports, artistic sports, football, basketball, combat sports, handball, and volleyball. The coverage will be enhanced by various meetings such as “My Olympic Paris” from 7 a.m. with Lesly Boitrelle, accompanied by Victoria Vergara, Léa Palermo and the French Lose Federation, to give a taste of the day, then after the competitions with Géraldine Weber, but also Vincent Desagnat, Matthias Dandois, Christine Arron, Nathalie Péchalat and Kevin Rolland, to do a debriefing. During the events, Olivier Canton, Louis-Pierre Frileux, Gaëlle Millon and Thomas Bihel will be responsible for making the connection. Finally, like the public service, many athletes join the team for commentaries such as Alain Bernard for swimming, Frédérique Jossinet for judo and Matthieu Dutray for climbing.
Security Concerns Surrounding the Games
In a concerning development, French security services have detained a Russian chef accused of organizing wide-scale acts of destabilization during the Olympic Games. The 40-year-old suspect, who has lived in France for 14 years, was arrested in his apartment on Rive Droite. He faces serious charges linked to intelligence sharing with a foreign power, which could lead to a 30-year prison sentence if convicted. The investigation suggests that he was preparing for significant disruptive actions during the Games, prompting a swift response from authorities. Intelligence services had been monitoring his communications for months, including a call with a Russian intelligence controller discussing the upcoming opening ceremony.
Additionally, Microsoft reported that Russia is attempting to disrupt the Olympic Games by creating fake media sites that mimic authentic French outlets, raising concerns about cybersecurity and misinformation. French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin emphasized the importance of ensuring that the Games are not exploited for espionage or cyber attacks. With the grand opening ceremony set to take place on the Seine, security measures are heightened, and intelligence services are prepared for any potential threats.
