Though the Olympic Games in Paris haven’t officially begun yet, the Olympians from Team Australia have been given strict security measures to follow, due to multiple instances of crime occurring against Australians.
On Monday news broke that a 25-year-old Australian woman had been allegedly gang-raped by five men in Paris on the night of July 20. Then on the Wednesday before the Games kicked off, two radio technicians from Nine reported that they were assaulted in an attempted robbery.
Aussie tourists attending the Games have been warned to keep themselves on high alert, due to the increased threat of terrorism during Paris 2024.
And given one Russian man has already been arrested on suspicion he had plans to “destabilise” the Games two days before the opening ceremony, who knows how many more there’ll be.
Aussie Olympians told to ditch uniforms for safety
The Australian team’s chef de mission, four-time Olympian Anna Meares, has shared what safety measures the Aussie Olympians have been urged to follow for their own safety.
One of the biggest security measures requested of our Olympians was that they refrain from wearing their iconic green and gold gear whenever they aren’t in the safety of the fortified Olympic Village.
“We encouraged them if they go out of the village not to go out on their own not to wear team uniform just to wear the plain clothes,” Meares said.
“It is based on the security advice that we’ve received and just ensuring the safety of our athletes.”
Meares confirmed that they have not received any word from any Aussie athletes feeling unsafe in the city yet, and are working tirelessly to keep it that way.
“We’ve got a huge contingency of family and friends coming… we just want to make sure that everyone stays safe and comes home safe,” she said.
Not that you’d hear any complaints from the Matildas, who publicly roasted their Olympic uniforms.
Extra safety measures and police presence
The 450 Aussie athletes competing at Paris 2024 aren’t the only Australians who’ve been requested not to wear official clothing for their safety.
After the attack on two Nine staff, reports say that members of the Olympic broadcast team have been told not to wear any official Olympic credentials when they aren’t working.
Paris is expected to have more than 15 million people visit the city over the course of the Olympic and Paralympic Games. With this excessive population of people has also come fears of increased crime rates.
The city of Paris has deployed 35,000 police officers to work every day over the course of the Games, and an additional 10,000 soldiers to take part in security operations.
The Olympic opening ceremony takes place on July 26, (July 27 Australian time), and will have another 10,000 police for security on the evening.
For more details about how to watch the opening ceremony of Paris 2024 and which events you can’t miss, check out guide here!
[Image: Getty/AP Images]
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