General view of the Eiffel Tower Stadium, under construction for the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris, France, April 13, 2024.
11:50 JST, April 17, 2024
PARIS (Reuters) – The Eiffel Tower countdown clock to the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris was set to 100 days on Tuesday as preparations for the Games entered the final stretch.
Earlier in the day, the Olympic torch was lit in ancient Olympia. It will reach France on May 8 in the port city of Marseille, after a voyage on the three-masted ship Belem.
All permanent infrastructure for the Games is now ready and construction of temporary venues has begun in Paris, specifically at Place de la Concorde.
Organizers will be counting on the flame relay across France to change the mood in the country as the July 26-August 11 Games approach.
Last month, a poll showed that in France, 57% of people felt little or no enthusiasm for the Paris Games.
Posters of Paris 2024 were hung in metro stations on Tuesday and some historical monuments paid tribute to the upcoming Games, while the stairs to the Sacre Coeur Basilica were painted with the colors of the Games.
