Destination Paris.
It's a big feature for the Paris Olympics, of course.
Selena Sykes joins us in student.
Good evening to you.
The final countdown then underway with four days to go
until the beginning of the Games.
How excited are we?
That's the question.
President Macron says today that Paris is ready, so is
Selena Sykes.
I am, I am here.
The final touch is obviously underway as this big event
at the French capital is getting ready to host the
biggest sporting event in the world.
And as we can imagine, this isn't.
We've been seeing the final touches over the last few
weeks and months, but this is 7 years of hard
work for organisers.
A huge amount of work has gone into it since
Paris won their bid back in 2017 to host the
Olympics.
The same year that Macron was elected.
The President of France visited the Olympic Village this morning,
where he met with volunteers and greeted the French delegation.
Paris will be welcoming more than 10,000 athletes during the
Games, many of which have already arrived.
There will also be 4000 athletes during the Paralympics.
Later in the day, MACAW addressed international journalists at the
Elysee in Paris and spoke about the highly ambitious opening
ceremony, which will be taking place along the River Seine
and not in a stadium for the first time in
Olympics history.
Let's take a listen.
I can tell you that at the very beginning, it
seems to be a a crazy and not very serious
idea.
But we decided that it was the right moment to
deliver this crazy idea and to make it real.
So I want to thank all those who did contribute
to this ceremony and did contribute in order not just
to organize this parade, which is totally unique with you
will see world artists, but as well dancers, orchestras and
so on, making Paris just an open theatre on the
scene.
River.
Crazy idea.
As President Macron says, it's all about to get underway.
Let's talk about cycling velodrome.
You know, it's, it's not that far from where I
actually live, so I'm hoping to get there if I
can.
Many riders have just done the Tour de France, which
of course Celine has been covering, will be competing at
the Olympics, including one who's changing the face of cycling.
That's a writer, Binyamma Guillemai, who has been called the
African kin by his fans.
He's made history.
Tour de France, the 24 year old from Eritrea became
the first black African to win a stage as well
as the green jersey.
A pride which is a prize which is awarded to
the best sprinter over the gruelling three-week race.
He'll be competing in the road race at Paris 2024
is embracing his role as a hero in his home
country as well as an inspiration for cyclists across Africa.
Many hope that his success will spark change in an
overwhelmingly white sport.
In this year's Tour.
The false say he was the only black rider in
the whole peloton of 176 riders.
France 24's James Vecina managed to catch up with him
on the finish line.
I'm just super happy for the future of African and
for the future of cycling because, yeah, the more it
goes, more international or global sport is more nice, you
know, it's more beautiful to see on the peloton and
different colour from different country and different continents.
So yeah, I'm just super happy to be part of
that.
And then we have to see myself on this history
way, just what can I say?
Just like from the past historical moment, today was really
special moment and it's just been announced that Tour de
France winner Tade Pogasha has pulled out of the Olympics.
Slovenia Olympics cycling coach has said the 25 year old
has cancelled because of extreme fatigue after that gruelling race.
Our journalists have been following of course athletes across the
globe as they prepare for the games as part of
our four corners of the World Series.
We're off to Columbia next, which is where our Spanish
language channel is based to follow the journey of race
Walker Ada Arevalo.
The Urimai Esta and ETA Karabari from along with Jenny
Shin from France 44, have this report for us.
He's already taken part in three Olympic Games.
Ada Arevalo won the men's 20 kilometres race walk title
in London in 2017, but his journey has not been
smooth sailing.
In 2019, a broken collarbone prevented him from defending his
title in Doha, also delaying his preparations for the 2021
Tokyo Games.
After qualifying for Paris, Arevalo was injured yet again, keeping
him from training for two months, but his spirits remained
high.
When you have an injury, you have to devote more
time to it.
It's a part of the training.
If you can't do the technical gesture of walking, you
can at least swim or cycle or even run.
As he does this exercise, we observe on the computer
screen how his strength evolves during each exercise.
597 This is a very good power peak.
At 31 years old, recovery is not as fast as
it used to be, but he still undergoes high level
preparations, walking, cycling, swimming, fitness, weight training and even trips
to the psychologist.
An intense schedule that leaves little time for family life.
If we want to achieve big goals, if we want
to go for world titles, the Olympics, we can't tell
ourselves that we're going to party on the weekend, go
drinking or stay up late.
Race walking is a passion Arevalo has dedicated his life
to for 18 years.
Like many Colombian children, he first started by playing football
before discovering the athletics track.
I told the teacher I wanted to go walking, so
he gave me some tests and that's how I began.
He said to me, Ada, this is your test and
the same day I covered some 3 kilometers.
Champion of his discipline among his generation, Ada Arevalo no
longer counts the kilometers travelled.
He now has one goal in mind, to shine in
Paris and to write a new chapter in his story.
Look out for that man walking in the Olympics now.
Finally, Team USA will have a very famous face as
their male flag bearer for the opening ceremony on Friday.
Selina, tell us who.
That's right, who other than NBA superstar LeBron James will
be carrying the stars and stripes for the Americans?
The Los Angeles Lakers play was nominated by his fellow
American Olympians.
This will be the 39 year old 4th Olympics.
He's won gold twice in Beijing in two, 1008 and
London in 2012, as well as a bronze medal at
his first Olympics in Athens in 2004.
Team USA's female flag bearer Mark will be revealed on
Tuesday.
Can't wait to find out.
And I know you'll be the person who will tell
us.
Selena Sykes getting ready for the Paris Olympics.
So lucky I believe.
It's great stuff.
Thank you very much indeed.
Greatest series has been fantastic and great fun and you've
had a lot of fun making it, haven't you?
I can tell.
Look at that smile.
Fantastic stuff, thank you for watching.
This is of course France 24.
More news, sport and everything else to come.
Do stay with us.