Paris, June 26 (Xinhua) -- When the Eiffel Tower is equipped with the huge Olympic rings, from the Luxor Obelisk on the Place de la Concorde to the golden dome of Les Invalides, from the Champs-Elysées to the Grand Palais next to the Champs-Élysées, the construction of temporary venues has also begun to be put to the fore.
Everything that is happening in Paris is a reminder that the Olympics are really just around the corner.
With a full month to go before the opening of the Olympic Games, the preparations of the Paris Organising Committee and all relevant parties have entered the final sprint stage. In a recent interview with Xinhua News Agency, IOC President Thomas Bach expressed his affirmation of the preparations for the Paris Olympic Games.
"I just went to Paris last week, and I'm going to be there next weekend, where preparations are well underway." Bach said while watching the Olympic qualification series in Budapest a few days ago.
Bach highlighted the ongoing torch relay, which has been taking place for more than a month since the Olympic flame arrived in Marseille on 8 May, attracting more than 3 million people to watch it live.
"Think about the fact that the torch didn't arrive in Paris, and as the torch relay gets closer to Paris, the atmosphere will become even more enthusiastic. We're really looking forward to what kind of Olympics Paris will present to us in a little more than a month's time. Bach said.
The Paris 1924 Olympic Games gave birth to the first Olympic Village in Olympic history. One hundred years later, the Olympic Village has become a unique feature of every Olympic Games, where athletes from all over the world come together to interact and learn more, and the spirit of solidarity is fully demonstrated here.
The Olympic Village, once again in the "Romantic City", focuses on the concept of green, environmental protection and sustainability, and reducing carbon emissions by 50% is the commitment of the Paris Organising Committee to the world.
The Olympic Village in Paris made full use of the existing local facilities: the film and television base was transformed into a large 3,200-seat restaurant, the film studio was converted into a training room for athletes, and a polyclinic was built using the resources of the local medical school...... Facilities such as a laundry room, nursery, post office, hair and nail salon, and alcohol-free bar are also available.
Just recently, the restaurant in the Olympic Village had its first trial operation, and many experiencers, including Tony Estanguet, president of the Paris Organising Committee, praised the quality of the food.
In order to provide more convenient arrival and departure services for athletes, the Aéroports de Paris (the operator of Paris' two major airports, Charles de Gaulle and Orly) has also opened a special check-in and check-in service in the Olympic Village to reduce the waiting time for athletes at the airport.
"It's a very complicated job, tens of thousands of athletes, they have a lot of equipment, equipment, and all kinds of special luggage, there have been sports in the past where athletes have waited too long at the airport to check in, and we will not let such a thing happen at the Paris Olympics." A staff member of the Aéroports de Paris group told reporters.
In terms of venue construction, thanks to the sports tradition accumulated in Paris over the years, a large number of existing facilities can be used, and only three new venues will be built for this Olympic Games - the La Chapelle Gate Gymnasium, which hosts badminton and rhythmic gymnastics, the water sports center that hosts synchronized swimming, water polo and diving, and the Le Bourget Sports and Climbing Centre in the northeastern suburbs of Paris. Most of the other events will be held in existing venues as well as temporary venues. The construction of temporary venues at famous attractions such as Place de la Concorde, Les Invalides and the Eiffel Tower has also entered the final stage, and is expected to be officially handed over to the Paris Olympic Organizing Committee for acceptance in early July.
In terms of transportation, the Île-de-France region, where Paris is located, will build a new 400-kilometre Olympic cycle path for the Olympic Games, in order to achieve the goal of "100% rideable". In addition, 46,000 shared bicycles have been equipped, and 27,000 bicycle parking spaces have been deployed, of which 10,000 parking spaces and some bicycle lanes will be permanently retained as an "Olympic legacy" to continue to serve the "decarbonization of transportation".
As an important part of every Olympic Games, the recruitment and training of volunteers are also in the final stage. This year's Olympic Games has set up a volunteer equipment collection center, which is independently operated by Decathlon, the sponsor of volunteer equipment. The center is housed on a campus of the University of Cité in the heart of Paris, and volunteers can also participate in a number of sports experiences while collecting their equipment. The person in charge here told reporters that the purpose of this design is to let the volunteers feel the atmosphere of the Olympics from the beginning, so that they can realize the importance of their work to a successful Olympic Games from the first day.
The process of water pollution control on the Seine has also been accelerated with the upcoming opening of the Olympic Games. In 1923, the city of Paris banned swimming in the Seine, and now the city of Paris is carrying out pollution control projects by various means, not only to make the Seine meet the requirements of marathon swimming and triathlon competitions at this year's Olympic Games, but also to make it a truly open "open-air swimming pool" from next summer.
"The Olympics are a catalyst for us to accelerate this governance process." Pierre Rabadan, Deputy Mayor of Paris for Sports, Olympic and Paralympic Affairs, said.
The Olympics is never just a competition between athletes on the field, it is also a grand display of the city's culture and spirit. With one month to go, Paris is making its final efforts to bring an unforgettable Olympic event to the world.