Can Paris still deliver on its Olympic promises with only three months to go?

For the first time in history, the Olympic opening ceremony is planned to be held outside of the traditional stadium setting on the River Seine. © Handout Florian Hulleu, Paris 2024, AFP / Illustration

The Eiffel Tower was supposed to greet the world’s athletes in a fresh coat of golden shimmer, the River Seine would be swimmable for the first time in 100 years and Paris was going to host the first-ever off-stadium opening ceremony in Olympic history. The hopes and expectations for the 2024 Games were grand and spectacular but with just three months to go will Paris be able to deliver on its promises?

“It’s going to be magical,” Paris’s Mayor Anne Hidalgo exclaimed just moments after learning that her city had won its bid to host the 2024 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games.