Paris 2024 Olympics: 1.2 Million Tickets Unsold Despite Record Sales

### Paris Olympics Organizers Announce Remaining Ticket Availability

Organizers of the Paris Olympics announced on Wednesday that there are still 1.2 million tickets available, primarily for football, basketball, and handball events. Team sports like football have struggled to sell out the large venues selected for the matches. However, organizers are set to release additional, more sought-after tickets for the swimming and athletics finals starting Thursday.

“More than 50,000 tickets will be put on sale across over 30 sports on Thursday,” deputy director general Mickael Aloisio informed reporters.

The Paris Games have already set a new record for ticket sales, with 8.7 million tickets sold, surpassing the previous high of 8.3 million from the 1996 Atlanta Games. Aloisio noted that “more than 60 percent” of tickets have been sold within France.

Despite the record sales, organizers faced significant criticism from fans and some athletes over the high ticket prices when they were first released last year, which contradicted the promise of a “people’s Olympics.”

### French Troops on Alert for Paris Olympics

French troops are on high alert around Paris’ Seine River, equipped with various tools from drones to dogs, as the countdown continues toward the Olympic Games’ opening ceremony.

Soldiers have planned extensively for the event within the four-by-two-kilometer zone where 10,000 athletes will participate in a waterborne parade on July 26, a senior officer named Olivier told reporters under French army protocols.

The deployment of 800 troops must navigate a dense urban environment where threats could emerge from both water and air. The recent assassination attempt on US presidential candidate Donald Trump underscores the potential risks at major events.

“It’s a complex and unprecedented mission,” the officer stated, promising that troops would “adapt to any changes and any evolution of the threat.”

### Comprehensive Security Measures

Among the deployed forces are combat divers, boats, intelligence units with drones, canine teams, and soldiers equipped with anti-drone technology. High-tech equipment on display included a “jamming rifle” to disrupt hostile drones and a diver’s gun that can be fired underwater.

Reporters were taken on an engineering boat for a mock patrol, where Foreign Legion infantrymen demonstrated their readiness with various weapons systems to respond to terrorist threats, explained by a captain named Quentin.

High-speed drones are part of the security arsenal, enabling rapid response to incidents. The Seine’s protected zone will be fully activated on Thursday, restricting access to authorized boats only. A water barrier near the Austerlitz railway station can be opened and closed, and another net can block underwater attacks within seconds, according to military engineer Carl.

On the embankments, soldiers trained with Parrot Anafi drones, equipped with infrared cameras and high-performance zoom, to identify potential threats. These drones serve to “survey, clear suspicions, and act as a deterrent,” a soldier noted.

“If the opening ceremony is successful, we’ll be in good shape to earn the confidence of the French public and Parisians for the rest of the Games,” the senior officer concluded.