Paris Olympics preparations move up a gear
The Peninsula
Paris: Preparations for the Paris Olympics stepped up a gear on Saturday as security teams scoured the banks of the Seine ahead of Friday s opening ce...
Paris: Preparations for the Paris Olympics stepped up a gear on Saturday as security teams scoured the banks of the Seine ahead of Friday's opening ceremony and top International Olympic Committee officials met in the French capital.
Police with sniffer dogs checked the six-kilometre (four-mile) route along the Seine for the ceremony in which around 6,000-7,000 athletes will sail on nearly a hundred barges and river boats in front of 300,000 spectators.
French police will be bolstered by colleagues from several countries, including Spain, Britain and Qatar.
Early on Saturday, a rehearsal for the ceremony was held on the river but security barriers and police screened it from the eyes of residents and media.
The stakes are high for the waterborne parade; the first time the opening ceremony of a Summer Games will take place outside a stadium.